U.S. textile imports decline

The U.S. Department of Commerce confirmed that imports of textiles and apparel decreased by 9.7 percent from April 2008 to April 2009, and import value declined by $5.8 billion, reflecting the depressed worldwide economy. Three countries holding their own in a down market are China, with a 15 percent increase in imports over the previous month; Vietnam, with import values holding steady at $374 million; and Korea, which increased import volume by 2.5 percent, but lost import value.