In apparel, speed to market will continue to grow in importance as companies seek sources close to markets, with responsive supply, sustainable production and appropriate vendor compliance. This is likely to open the door wider for garment production markets closer to Europe or the U.S., but is unlikely to impact China's hold on the global apparel sector.
Other countries can be competitive but they require significant investment to raise productivity and meet more stringent demands on quality. The illustrates a few other fast growing apparel producing countries that likely will play a larger global role in the coming years. In the meantime, China is already shifting to more value-added products and will continue to improve in expertise