As a head covering, hats are worn for diverse reasons. These encompass protection against the weather, religious purposes, ceremonial celebrations such as graduation, safety and as fashion accessories.
Nearly three-fifths (57.6%) of globally exported hats in 2018 were knitted or crocheted headgear made from textile fabric including lace and felt. Another 38% were miscellaneous headgear well ahead of headgear constructed by assembling strips from any material, the later representing another 4.4%.
From a continental perspective, $6.2 billion or almost two-thirds (63.3%) worth of worldwide exported hats originated from Asia during 2018, trailed by suppliers in Europe (30.5%) and North America (5.2%). Latin America plus the Caribbean was responsible for 0.4% for international hat sales, a shade ahead of 0.3% for African exporters and 0.2% for shippers in Oceania led by Australia and New Zealand.
The 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 650500 for knitted or crocheted headgear or made from lace, felt or other textile fabric. The 6 HTS digits are 650610 for safety headgear, 650699 for the catchall category and 650691 for bathing caps. For headgear constructed by assembling strip of any material, the 4-digit HTS prefix is 6504.
Overall
Exported Hats by Country: Overall
Below are the 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of hats shipped during 2018.
- China: US$4.6 billion (46.7% of globally exported headgear)
- Germany: $484.5 million (4.9%)
- Italy: $462.6 million (4.7%)
- Vietnam: $452.5 million (4.6%)
- Netherlands: $416.4 million (4.2%)
- France: $348.2 million (3.5%)
- Bangladesh: $302.4 million (3.1%)
- United States: $302.2 million (3.1%)
- Belgium: $249.1 million (2.5%)
- United Kingdom: $229.5 million (2.3%)
- Spain: $144.3 million (1.5%)
- Mexico: $141.6 million (1.4%)
- Poland: $141.3 million (1.4%)
- Japan: $137 million (1.4%)
- Hong Kong: $131.2 million (1.3%)
- Austria: $112.4 million (1.1%)
- Taiwan: $96.2 million (1%)
- Czech Republic: $76.6 million (0.8%)
- Canada: $72.1 million (0.7%)
- Thailand: $71.9 million (0.7%)
- Sweden: $65.2 million (0.7%)
- Indonesia: $54.9 million (0.6%)
- Sri Lanka: $40.8 million (0.4%)
- Turkey: $39.5 million (0.4%)
- Denmark: $39.2 million (0.4%)
The above countries produced 91.1% of overall exports for hats in 2018.
Only five top exporters experienced cutbacks in the overall sales of their hats since 2014, namely Hong Kong (down -31.1%), Taiwan (down -12.5%), Canada (down -7.1%), Sweden (down -6.2%) and the United Kingdom (down -4.5%).
Leading the gainers over the 5-year period ending in 2018 were: Vietnam (up 75.8%), Austria (up 71.3%), Indonesia (up 61.2%), Netherlands (up 60%), Belgium (up 59.9%), Sri Lanka (up 54.7%) then Mexico (up 50.8%).
Textile
Hats Exports by Country: Knitted/Crocheted, Lace, Felt, Other Textile
Below are the 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of hats made from knitted or crocheted fabric, lace, felt or other textile material and that was shipped during 2018.
- China: US$2.8 billion (49.6% of exported textile fabric headgear)
- Vietnam: $371 million (6.5%)
- Bangladesh: $297.1 million (5.2%)
- Netherlands: $265.8 million (4.7%)
- Germany: $239.4 million (4.2%)
- Italy: $205.5 million (3.6%)
- Belgium: $146.3 million (2.6%)
- France: $129.6 million (2.3%)
- Hong Kong: $115.9 million (2%)
- United Kingdom: $111.5 million (2%)
- United States: $98.7 million (1.7%)
- Poland: $86.1 million (1.5%)
- Mexico: $69.5 million (1.2%)
- Spain: $64.2 million (1.1%)
- Taiwan: $49 million (0.9%)
- Czech Republic: $44.7 million (0.8%)
- Canada: $41.7 million (0.7%)
- South Korea: $40.3 million (0.7%)
- Indonesia: $35.4 million (0.6%)
- Sri Lanka: $34.7 million (0.6%)
- Turkey: $33.1 million (0.6%)
- Denmark: $32.7 million (0.6%)
- Sweden: $30 million (0.5%)
- Cambodia: $29.3 million (0.5%)
- Slovakia: $28.7 million (0.5%)
The above countries produced 92.7% of textile fabric hats in 2018 including knitted or crocheted headgear.
Leading the gainers since 2014 were: Indonesia (up 116%), Cambodia (up 98.3%), Slovakia (up 90.4%), Mexico (up 82.6%) then Vietnam (up 80.9%)
Four top suppliers posted declines over the 5-year period: Hong Kong (down -23.8%), Taiwan (down -9.5%), Sweden (down -1%) and China (down -0.5%).
Plaited/Stripped
Hats Exports by Country: Plaited or Strip-Assembled
Below are the 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of hats plaited or assembled from strips regardless of material and that was shipped during 2018.
- China: US$266.7 million (61.6% of plaited/strip-assembled headgear exports)
- Italy: $23.4 million (5.4%)
- Mexico: $18 million (4.2%)
- United States: $17.5 million (4.1%)
- Germany: $11.9 million (2.7%)
- United Kingdom: $10.2 million (2.4%)
- France: $9.8 million (2.3%)
- Spain: $8 million (1.8%)
- Ecuador: $7.5 million (1.7%)
- Netherlands: $7 million (1.6%)
- Vietnam: $6.3 million (1.5%)
- Sri Lanka: $5.9 million (1.4%)
- Hong Kong: $3.2 million (0.7%)
- Turkey: $3 million (0.7%)
- Belgium: $3 million (0.7%)
- Slovakia: $2.9 million (0.7%)
- South Africa: $2.3 million (0.5%)
- Thailand: $2.2 million (0.5%)
- Bangladesh: $1.9 million (0.4%)
- Poland: $1.5 million (0.3%)
- Singapore: $1.4 million (0.3%)
- Bulgaria: $1.3 million (0.3%)
- India: $1.3 million (0.3%)
- Sweden: $1.3 million (0.3%)
- Indonesia: $1.2 million (0.3%)
The above countries produced 95.2% of hats plaited or assembled from strips in 2018.
Leading the gainers since 2014 were: Turkey (up 453.2%), Sweden (up 309%), Netherlands (up 252.4%), France (up 189.4%) then Sri Lanka (up 92.2%).
The value of exports for plaited or strip-assembled headgear declined at the fastest pace for: Vietnam (down -66.2%), India (down -47.6%), Indonesia (down -39.2%0, Bulgaria (down -25.7%) then Hong Kong (down -16.3%).
Misc
Hats Exports by Country: Miscellaneous Headgear
Below are the 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of miscellaneous headgear that was shipped during 2018. These include safety hats and bathing caps.
- China: US$1.5 billion (40.5% of exported miscellaneous headgear)
- Italy: $233.7 million (6.3%)
- Germany: $233.2 million (6.2%)
- France: $208.8 million (5.6%)
- United States: $186 million (5%)
- Netherlands: $143.6 million (3.8%)
- Japan: $130.1 million (3.5%)
- United Kingdom: $107.9 million (2.9%)
- Belgium: $99.9 million (2.7%)
- Austria: $85.4 million (2.3%)
- South Korea: $76.6 million (2.1%)
- Vietnam: $75.2 million (2%)
- Spain: $72.2 million (1.9%)
- Mexico: $54 million (1.4%)
- Poland: $53.7 million (1.4%)
- Thailand: $48.4 million (1.3%)
- Taiwan: $46.5 million (1.2%)
- Malaysia: $38.6 million (1%)
- Sweden: $33.9 million (0.9%)
- Czech Republic: $31.3 million (0.8%)
- Canada: $29.8 million (0.8%)
- Portugal: $29.7 million (0.8%)
- India: $20.5 million (0.5%)
- Indonesia: $18.2 million (0.5%)
- Singapore: $14.9 million (0.4%)
The above countries supplied 89.3% of miscellaneous headgear exported during 2018.
Leading the gainers since 2014 were: Austria (up 127.5%), Vietnam (up 122.9%), Poland (up 102.6%), Malaysia (up 94.9%), Netherlands (up 94.2%) then Spain (up 90.9%).
There were six decliners over the 5-year period: United Kingdom (down -19.3%), Canada (down -16.7%), Taiwan (down -15%), Sweden (down -12.8%), Portugal (down -11.7%) then South Korea (down -8.8%).
See also T-shirt Exports by Country, Top Exported Baby Clothing Sales and Top Sewing Threads Exports by Country
Research Sources:
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on July 13, 2019
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on July 13, 2019
Wikipedia, Hat. Accessed on July 13, 2019