Thesis
What drives the U.S. apparel imports: A longitudinal study using a gravity model framework
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
12/2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004204
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/125241
Abstract
International trade has been increasing immensely over the past 60 years, and the U.S. is the world's leading importer of apparel products. Major apparel supplying countries for the U.S. have been shifting due to structural reconfigurations of the U.S. apparel industry. In order to analyze these shifts and to address gaps in the current literature, the purpose of this study was to empirically examine the effects of the crucial political and economic factors on the U.S. apparel imports from its most notable 20 supplying countries between the years 1995-2019. Ordinary-least-square (OLS) regression in conjunction with the gravity model framework was used to complete the analysis. The results of the study show that the leading suppliers are dominated by a combination of long-distance Asian suppliers and nations that are located close to the US in the Americas. In terms of the size of their economies and populations, there is a wide variation with larger and smaller countries being important. Additionally, the growing U.S. GDP, U.S. GDP Per Capita, and trading partner GDP and GDP Per Capita are driving the U.S. apparel imports, while the greater geographic distance between the U.S. and its trading partner significantly impedes the trade flow. Among all of the investigated factors, the U.S. GDP and U.S. GDP Per Capita have the most significant impacts on the U.S. apparel imports and are largely driving its demand on foreign supplies.
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Details
- Title
- What drives the U.S. apparel imports
- Creators
- Rebecca Dawn Anderson
- Contributors
- Ting Chi (Advisor) - Washington State University, Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Department of
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Identifiers
- 99900896437601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis