Textile chemicals are used to impart desired properties such as strength, colour, flame protection, etc. to fabric. These chemicals are broadly divided in two categories: auxiliaries and colourants. Textile auxiliaries are the chemicals used during each and every step of textile manufacturing process so as to provide certain characteristics to fabric, whereas colourants are used to impart colour to the textile products. Since 1990, the consumption of domestically manufactured textile products in the United States has been declining owing to the increase in imports of cheaper products from China, Canada and Vietnam.
However, it is expected that the United States textile industry would recover due to rising labour cost outside the US, which would eventually lead to shrinking of textile imports into the US. In addition, growing preference of the consumers towards superior quality textile products manufactured in the domestic market is expected to have a positive impact on the consumption of textile chemicals over the next five years.
According to ?United States Textile Chemicals Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020?, the US market for textile chemicals is projected to surpass $2.6 billion by 2020. Presently, home textiles segment accounts for the largest share in the country?s textile chemicals market, followed by technical textiles and apparels. Introduction of new technical textile products and rapidly rising awareness about the benefits of using technical textiles in work places is expected to drive the market through 2020. Accounting for over three-fourths of the overall textile chemical sales in the country, Northeast and Southeast regions are expected to continue their dominance over the next five years.?