That dollar amount results from a 35.7% increase for all T-shirt exporters over the five-year period starting in 2020 when exported T-shirts were worth $41 billion.
Year over year, revenues from globally exported T-shirts rose by 5.2% compared to $52.9 billion starting from 2023.
The 5 biggest exporters of knitted or crocheted t-shirts are mainland China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Germany and Türkiye. Collectively, that leading quintet generated 50.4% of total international sales for knitted or crocheted t-shirts.
Among continents, suppliers in Asia sold the highest dollar worth of exports for knitted or crocheted T-shirts (inclusive of all types of materials) during 2024 with shipments valued at $32.7 billion or 58.6% of overall T-shirt exports. In second place were shippers based in Europe at another 29.7%.
Smaller percentages of total t-shirt exports were sourced from Latin America (6.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (3.1%), Africa (2.4%) then Oceania (0.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Most Popular T-Shirt Materials
Cotton is the dominant material used in t-shirt manufacturing. Cotton t-shirts accounted for $38.5 billion in international sales or well over two-thirds (69.2%) of total exported t-shirts. Similar apparel made from textiles other than cotton equaled $17.2 billion for the remaining 30.8%.
International sales of exported t-shirts made from cotton grew by 4.8% from 2023 to 2024. International revenues from t-shirts comprised of non-cotton materials rose by a faster rate (up 6.4% from 2023).
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for knitted or crocheted t-shirts is 6109. Drilling down, cotton T-shirts fall under 610910 while t-shirts made from other materials are categorized as 610990.
T-shirt Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of t-shirts (regardless of source materials) during 2024.
- mainland China: US$11 billion (19.7% of total t-shirt exports)
- Bangladesh: $8.2 billion (14.8%)
- Vietnam: $3.1 billion (5.5%)
- Germany: $3 billion (5.4%)
- Türkiye: $2.8 billion (5%)
- India: $2.3 billion (4.2%)
- Italy: $2.1 billion (3.8%)
- Belgium: $1.6 billion (2.8%)
- Netherlands: $1.5 billion (2.7%)
- France: $1.4 billion (2.5%)
- Spain: $1.3 billion (2.3%)
- Poland: $1.2 billion (2.1%)
- United States: $1.1 billion (2%)
- Nicaragua: $921.7 million (1.7%)
- Portugal: $863.5 million (1.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped over three-quarters (76.1%) of t-shirt exports in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing t-shirt exporters since 2023 were: Vietnam (up 24.4%), mainland world-leader China (up 20.8%), Netherlands (up 11.4%) and India (up 11.1%).
The lone country that posted a decline in its exported t-shirt sales was Portugal, recording a -4.8% slowdown.
Cotton T-shirt Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of cotton T-shirts during 2024.
- Bangladesh: US$7.3 billion (19.1% of exported cotton t-shirts)
- mainland China: $5.8 billion (15.2%)
- Germany: $2.1 billion (5.5%)
- Türkiye: $1.9 billion (4.8%)
- Vietnam: $1.74 billion (4.5%)
- India: $1.72 billion (4.5%)
- Italy: $1.66 billion (4.3%)
- Netherlands: $1.1 billion (2.9%)
- France: $1.1 billion (2.8%)
- Spain: $957.3 million (2.5%)
- United States: $953.4 million (2.5%)
- Belgium: $947.6 million (2.5%)
- Poland: $926.6 million (2.4%)
- Portugal: $720.4 million (1.9%)
- Nicaragua: $699.6 million (1.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 77% of globally exported cotton t-shirts in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of cotton t-shirts since 2023 were: mainland China (up 34.7%), Vietnam (up 23.9%), Netherlands (up 11.3%) and India (up 10.4%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported cotton t-shirts sales were: Portugal (down -5.5% from 2023), France (down -2.5%), Germany (down -1%) and Nicaragua (down -0.8%).
Non-Cotton Textile T-shirt Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that, during 2024, exported the highest dollar value worth of T-shirts made from textile materials other than cotton.
- mainland China: US$5.2 billion (30% of exported non-cotton t-shirts)
- Vietnam: $1.3 billion (7.8%)
- Türkiye: $909.6 million (5.3%)
- Germany: $890.9 million (5.2%)
- Bangladesh: $888.1 million (5.2%)
- Belgium: $639.1 million (3.7%)
- India: $601.8 million (3.5%)
- Italy: $477.3 million (2.8%)
- Netherlands: $377.3 million (2.2%)
- Cambodia: $376.8 million (2.2%)
- France: $353.3 million (2.1%)
- Pakistan: $338.9 million (2%)
- Spain: $316.6 million (1.8%)
- Sri Lanka: $299.9 million (1.7%)
- Thailand: $257.6 million (1.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 77% of globally exported non-cotton t-shirts in 2024.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of non-cotton t-shirts since 2023 were: Vietnam (up 25.1%), Pakistan (up 22.4%), Belgium (up 16.7%) and France (up 16.1%).
Sri Lanka was the lone top competitor to post a decline in exports of non-cotton t-shirts, down -0.2% from 2023.
T-shirt Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are examples of established T-shirt companies.
- Fab Collections Limited (Bangladesh)
- Herbert Georg Santura (Portugal)
- Idea Group IGM SRL (Italy)
- Luxiberg (France)
- Nanchang Dongshen Knitted Garment Co, Ltd (China)
- NFS Trade International (Germany)
- PBM Polytex Limited (India)
- Ruma North America Group S de RL de CV (Mexico)
- Sky Apparel Limited (Turkey)
- Vietgo Company Limited (Vietnam)
The home-country location for each above business is shown within parentheses.
See also T-shirt Imports by Country, Top Fur Clothing Exporters Plus Average Prices for Furskin Clothes, Cotton Imports by Country and Top Exported Baby Clothing Sales
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for T-shirts. Accessed on June 3, 2025
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on June 3, 2025
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on June 3, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 3, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 3, 2025
Wikipedia, T-shirt. Accessed on June 3, 2025