Recession report: trade flattens

Textiles Intelligence Ltd., Wilmslow, England, issued its 2009 edition of the “World Textile and Apparel Trade and Production Trends: the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico” in November, and the Americas are hurting. American consumer demand for clothing and footwear fell by 1.1 percent in 2008 and declined more in the first half of 2009, a trend reflected in a 10.6 percent decline in textile and clothing imports and a 24.1 percent decline in exports of U.S. goods. The picture is equally grim in Mexico and South America, with the only bright spot an improvement in textile sales in Colombia. The complete report can be ordered at www.textilesintelligence.com.