Imports Up
Imports of apparel grew 9.8 percent in the first 11 months of 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Imports from Central American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua topped the list, with control of 15.2 percent of the U.S. apparel supply. China was the second-largest supplier, with 12 percent of total U.S. apparel imports, and Mexico fell to third, supplying 10.5 percent of U.S. apparel imports.
