That dollar amount results from a 54.2% increase since 2018 when hat exports were worth $9.75 billion.
Year over year, the overall value of exported hats accelerated by 22.5% compared to $12.3 billion during 2021.
The world’s top 3 exporters of hats are mainland China, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Combined, that trio of major suppliers generated almost three-fifths (59.5%) of total international sales for hats during 2022.
Below, we look at the main exporting countries for different types of hats.
Exported Hats Made From Different Types of Materials
Hats are worn for diverse reasons, encompassing protection against the weather, religious purposes, ceremonial celebrations such as graduation, as well as for safety, status symbols and fashion accessories.
Exported hats are made from a wide range of materials. The following percentages provide a gauge of international demand for the materials which the most popular hats are made from.
More than half (57.3%) of globally exported hats in 2022 was knitted or crocheted headgear made from textile fabric including lace and felt. Trailing that at 39.3% was miscellaneous headgear, well ahead of headgear constructed by assembling strips from any material, the later representing another 3.4%. Other miscellaneous headgear, excluding hairnets, account for a miniscule 0.0002% of global exports.
From a continental perspective, $9.7 billion or nearly three-quarters (64.7%) worth of globally exported hats during 2022 originated from Asia, outpacing suppliers located in Europe (28.8%) and North America (5.3%).
Sellers in Latin America plus the Caribbean was responsible for another 0.7% in international hat sales, ahead of 0.4% for exporters in Africa, and 0.2% for shippers in Oceania led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, 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.
Exported Hats by Country: Overall
Below are the 25 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of hats shipped during 2022.
- China: US$6.7 billion (44.6% of total exported hats)
- Vietnam: $1.2 billion (8%)
- Bangladesh: $1 billion (7%)
- Italy: $744.3 million (4.9%)
- Germany: $677 million (4.5%)
- Netherlands: $565.3 million (3.8%)
- France: $468 million (3.1%)
- United States: $380.6 million (2.5%)
- Belgium: $327.9 million (2.2%)
- Poland: $272.7 million (1.8%)
- Mexico: $226.6 million (1.5%)
- Spain: $186.3 million (1.2%)
- United Kingdom: $155.8 million (1%)
- Hong Kong: $134.1 million (0.9%)
- Taiwan: $126.2 million (0.8%)
- Türkiye: $123.2 million (0.8%)
- South Korea: $119.5 million (0.8%)
- Denmark: $117.9 million (0.8%)
- Indonesia: $112.6 million (0.7%)
- Czech Republic: $103 million (0.7%)
- Sweden: $95.3 million (0.6%)
- Canada: $90.1 million (0.6%)
- Austria: $83.5 million (0.6%)
- Greece: $78.4 million (0.5%)
- Cambodia: $75.7 million (0.5%)
By value, the above countries produced 91.7% of overall exports for hats in 2022.
The greatest increases in the overall sales of hats since 2018 belonged to providers in Greece (up 654.1%), Cambodia (up 378.4%), Vietnam (up 122.4%), United States of America (up 116%), then South Korea (up 96%).
There was a trio of decliners over the 5-year period namely Hong Kong (down -40.9% from 2018), United Kingdom (down -20.9%) and Canada (down -0.9%).
Hats Exports by Country: Knitted/Crocheted, Lace, Felt, Other Textile
Below are the 25 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 2022.
- China: US$3.7 billion (43% of textile fabric headgear)
- Vietnam: $833.3 million (9.7%)
- Bangladesh: $729 million (8.5%)
- Italy: $443.5 million (5.1%)
- Germany: $390.1 million (4.5%)
- Netherlands: $338.5 million (3.9%)
- France: $244.4 million (2.8%)
- United States: $182.5 million (2.1%)
- Belgium: $180.6 million (2.1%)
- Poland: $163.1 million (1.9%)
- Mexico: $125.5 million (1.5%)
- Spain: $93.6 million (1.1%)
- United Kingdom: $70.8 million (0.8%)
- Hong Kong: $66.1 million (0.8%)
- Taiwan: $62.6 million (0.7%)
- Türkiye: $61.6 million (0.7%)
- South Korea: $59.9 million (0.7%)
- Denmark: $59.6 million (0.7%)
- Indonesia: $58.8 million (0.7%)
- Czech Republic: $50.5 million (0.6%)
- Sweden: $49.8 million (0.6%)
- Canada: $47 million (0.5%)
- Austria: $42.9 million (0.5%)
- Greece: $41.2 million (0.5%)
- Cambodia: $41.1 million (0.5%)
By value, the above countries produced 91.9% of textile fabric hats in 2022 including knitted or crocheted headgear.
Leading the gainers since 2018 were: Greece (up 984.2%), Vietnam (up 193.7%), Cambodia (up 188.6%), Bangladesh (up 138.3%), Italy (up 110.3%) then Poland (up 89.3%).
Two top suppliers posted declines over the 5-year period, namely Hong Kong (down -43%) and the United Kingdom (down -36.7%).
Hats Exports by Country: Plaited or Strip-Assembled
Below are the 25 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of hats plaited or assembled from strips regardless of material and that was shipped during 2022.
- China: US$280.7 million (54.9% of hats assembled from strips)
- Mexico: $41.2 million (8.1%)
- Italy: $23.2 million (4.5%)
- United States: $18.6 million (3.6%)
- Germany: $12.9 million (2.5%)
- Belgium: $12.9 million (2.5%)
- France: $12.1 million (2.4%)
- Ecuador: $9.8 million (1.9%)
- Spain: $8.9 million (1.7%)
- Vietnam: $8.8 million (1.7%)
- Netherlands: $8.6 million (1.7%)
- Sweden: $8.2 million (1.6%)
- Poland: $6.9 million (1.4%)
- Türkiye: $6.2 million (1.2%)
- United Kingdom: $4.3 million (0.8%)
- Bangladesh: $4.3 million (0.8%)
- Sri Lanka: $3.5 million (0.7%)
- Indonesia: $3.3 million (0.6%)
- Slovakia: $2.8 million (0.6%)
- Greece: $2.8 million (0.5%)
- Panama: $2 million (0.4%)
- Madagascar: $1.9 million (0.4%)
- South Africa: $1.9 million (0.4%)
- Hong Kong: $1.7 million (0.3%)
- Australia: $1.7 million (0.3%)
By value, the above countries produced 93.5% of hats plaited or assembled from strips in 2022.
Leading the gainers since 2018 were: Greece (up 1,636%), Sweden (up 538.3%), Poland (up 352%), Belgium (up 310.1%), Indonesia (up 167.9%), Madagascar (up 163.4%) then Mexico (up 128.5%).
The value of exports for plaited or strip-assembled headgear declined at the strongest pace for: United Kingdom (down -57.6% from 2018), Hong Kong (down -45.8%), Vietnam (down -40.7%), then South Africa (down -20.9%).
Hats Exports by Country: Miscellaneous Headgear
Below are the 25 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of miscellaneous headgear that was shipped during 2022. These include safety hats and bathing caps but specifically exclude hair nets.
- China: US$2.7 billion (46% of miscellaneous headgear)
- Germany: $333.1 million (5.6%)
- Italy: $293.7 million (5%)
- United States: $282.1 million (4.8%)
- France: $274 million (4.6%)
- Netherlands: $214 million (3.6%)
- Japan: $211.5 million (3.6%)
- Vietnam: $188.4 million (3.2%)
- Poland: $138.3 million (2.3%)
- Belgium: $100.7 million (1.7%)
- Spain: $92.6 million (1.6%)
- South Korea: $84.5 million (1.4%)
- Austria: $78.1 million (1.3%)
- United Kingdom: $61.9 million (1%)
- Taiwan: $59.3 million (1%)
- Malaysia: $57.3 million (1%)
- India: $56.2 million (0.9%)
- Czech Republic: $54.9 million (0.9%)
- Mexico: $50.9 million (0.9%)
- Sweden: $49.7 million (0.8%)
- Canada: $43.4 million (0.7%)
- Thailand: $41.2 million (0.7%)
- Portugal: $38.7 million (0.7%)
- Türkiye: $35.5 million (0.6%)
- Greece: $32.9 million (0.6%)
By value, the above countries supplied 91.3% of miscellaneous headgear exported during 2022.
Leading the gainers since 2018 were: Greece (up 4,487%), Türkiye (up 932.8%), India (up 172.8%), Vietnam (up 171.9%), Poland (up 156.7%) then the Netherlands (up 82.2%).
Recording double-digit declines over the 5-year period were: United Kingdom (down -42.7% from 2018) and Thailand (down -15%).
See also T-shirt Exports by Country, Top Exported Baby Clothing Sales and Top Sewing Threads Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on September 21, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 21, 2023
Wikipedia, Hat. Accessed on September 21, 2023
