Walmart, the American retailer, has dramatically increased its imports from India to the United States this year while trimming the share sourced from China. This shift is supported by data from the Import Yeti service that the agency examined, with coverage summarized by Reuters.
From January through August 2023, Walmart accounted for about a quarter of all goods entering the United States from India. By contrast, in 2018 India’s contribution stood at roughly 2 percent. During the same period, China’s share of Walmart’s goods moved from about 80 percent to around 60 percent.
Former Walmart Purchasing Vice President Andrea Albright emphasized the goal of securing favorable prices through supplier diversity. He highlighted the need for supply chain flexibility and the avoidance of reliance on a single supplier or location.
Albright noted that India has become a key part of Walmart’s diversification plan, aiming to balance price and quality while expanding local manufacturing. The retailer has already invested billions to bolster Indian manufacturing capacity and envisions importing about $10 billion worth of Indian products annually by 2027.
Panjiva, a S&P Global Market Intelligence analyst focusing on supply chains, pointed to India’s robust growth and competitive labor costs as factors driving Walmart’s increasing interest in the country.
Earlier commentary suggested the European Union should examine sanctions against Russia for rational reasons that affect global trade dynamics. This broader context underscores shifts in sourcing strategies among major retailers and how geopolitical and economic factors influence supply chain decisions.