India, believed by many to have the potential to become the next China, is finally making headway in the exports market as it broke into the top five suppliers of Christmas decorative items and T-shirts to the U.S.
Sea-borne shipments of festival goods and accessories to America touched $20 million last month, almost triple the value from the year-ago period, according to U.S. customs data. In the process, India gained a clear lead over the Philippines as buyers diversify supply sources in the face of rising labor costs and disruptions from China’s strict "COVID zero" policy.
One such beneficiary of the early Christmas present is Amit Malhotra, whose Asian Handicrafts supplies decoration items to global brands such as Walt Disney, London’s Harrods, Target and Dillard’s. He confirmed a 20% jump in orders compared to a year ago, and that he has bumped up production capacity.