The Peruvian cotton T-shirt category recorded sales of USD 116.0 million in the first fourteen weeks of 2026, compared to USD 164.6 million in the same period in 2025.
A 29.5% decline in an entire export category is rare. This is also the clearest indication of spare production capacity that has been built up in this market over several years.

Fifteen of the 20 largest exporters are below the previous year's volume. Several are operating at 50-80% of their 2025 production capacity, meaning that factory capacity, production lines and scheduling quotas that were fully booked twelve months ago are no longer occupied.

For buyers who are currently sourcing T-shirts from other countries of origin and are reviewing Peru as a supplier, the entry conditions in 2026 are better than they have been for several years.
The bargaining power is always with the buyer in a shrinking market, and several premium suppliers have documented capacity available.
For buyers already sourcing cotton T-shirts from Peru, the task is to check which suppliers have maintained their relationships with premium buyers despite the market downturn, as these are the very ones worth engaging with for the long term.

© 2026 Martin Garay
9450 SW Gemini Dr, PMB 27209, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105, USA
And to find out what the 20 exporters of this product are doing, contact me here: martin@garaycompany.com