Trump's tariffs revive Tiruppur as global buyers shift orders from China

Buyers are rushing to Tiruppur after Trump's tariffs hit rivals like China, Vietnam and Bangladesh, sparking hopes of a double-digit export surge this year

The rhythmic sounds of spinning and weaving, often dismissed as ‘textile noise’, are music to the ears in Tiruppur. What outsiders might find unpleasant — the chemical odours from dyeing, printing, and finishing processes — are, for locals, the scent of an economy that has thrived for millennia. Nearby Kodumanal, for instance, is believed to have clothed ancient Rome 2,500 years ago.

 

When the Donald Trump administration announced fresh tariffs earlier this month, many feared it would be the final blow for an industry still climbing out of the pandemic slump. Instead, Tiruppur’s streets have grown livelier over the past two weeks. Buying agents are seeing a sharp rise in queries and orders, and most manufacturers are gearing up to expand to meet the new wave of demand.

 

The reason? Orders are shifting from countries facing steeper tariffs, such as China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, towards trusted suppliers in Tiruppur. Sources say 10–15 per cent of orders from China alone have already been redirected here, with many US clients seeking deliveries within 90 days. If this trend holds, the city could notch another 20 per cent jump in exports this year. 

 

Tiruppur is India’s largest textile cluster, accounting for 90 per cent of the country’s cotton knitwear exports and 55 per cent of overall knitwear exports. Nearly every house in the city hosts a micro, small, or medium enterprise unit. This spike in global buyer interest comes just as the hub recorded its highest-ever export revenue of ₹40,000 crore in 2024–25, helped by political turbulence in Bangladesh. 

 

“Buyers who earlier sourced from Bangladesh, China, and Vietnam are now coming to India. They are pushing for discounts, but we are seeing a huge rush over the past two and a half weeks. This is the strongest market and demand we’ve seen in years,” said M Muthurathinam, president of the Tiruppur Exporters and Manufacturers Association, whose members are mostly small enterprises with turnovers below ₹10 crore. Just months ago, during the latter part of 2023–24, he had warned about the closure of around 500 units under his association post-pandemic.

 

“The 90-day deferment of the tariffs worked in our favour — buyers are clearing old orders, and the new diversions are breathing fresh life into the industry. Everyone is in expansion mode, investing in new units and upgrading existing ones. We expect a 15 per cent rise in exports this financial year,” said K M Subramanian, president of the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association.

 

“If Trump’s tariffs on competing countries stay at these levels, India will be the more cost-effective option for US buyers. Buying agents are saying they can’t keep up with the flow of orders,” he added.

 

Last year, Tiruppur’s clients included global names like Primark, Tesco, Next, Marks & Spencer, Walmart, Tommy Hilfiger, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, Gap, Carter’s, DUNS Sweden, Target, and Woolworths. Most of these brands have now placed additional orders. 

 

“Existing US buyers are rerouting their order enquiries from China to Tiruppur. Cotton garments have already started shifting here as we remain competitive. The only hurdle is that Chinese prices are around 15 per cent lower, mainly due to cheaper raw material costs like polyester. Buyers are also pushing for deliveries within the 90-day tariff window. For Tiruppur, the outlook is bright; much depends on how much of the diverted orders we can hold on to once the pause ends,” said Elangovan Viswanathan, president of the Buying Agents Association and managing director of SNQS Internationals.

 

Tiruppur’s exports touched a record ₹40,000 crore in 2024–25 after falling 11 per cent to ₹30,690 crore the previous year due to the Ukraine conflict and supply chain disruptions. The US accounts for about 35 per cent of India’s knitwear exports, followed by the European Union with 29 per cent, of a total of ₹56,000 crore in 2023–24. In the US, 97 per cent of garments sold are imported.

 

According to Sanjay K Jain, chairman of the ICC National Textile Committee, India has a strong opening in categories like made-up articles, jerseys, and blankets, where China still leads. Tiruppur’s rebound comes at a time when Bangladesh’s textile hub, Chattogram, is seeing widespread closures, with only 350 of 611 registered units still operating and over 54 units shutting down in the past six months. Analysts caution, however, that Tiruppur’s exporters should tread carefully despite the upbeat mood.

 

“These first 90 days will shape the new global value chain. We must move swiftly to make the most of this window,” said trade policy analyst S Chandrasekaran. He warned that, given US access to raw cotton and the growing use of automation, American players could soon turn to robotic or sewbot stitching in the future, leveraging artificial intelligence.

 

For now, textile, tariff, Trump, and Tiruppur are in lockstep, rekindling the old glory of India’s knitwear capital.

 

Series concludes