U.S. imports of textiles down 7.5 percent

For the second year in a row, the U.S. imported fewer textiles and less apparel from overseas, according to the report “Trends in U.S. Textile and Clothing Imports, 2010 Update,” published by Market Publishers Ltd., Birmingham, U.K. Despite friction with the U.S. over the trade imbalance, China is still the biggest supplier of textiles and clothing to the U.S., with 39.2 percent of value and 44.5 percent of volume of textile and apparel imports to the U.S. The average prices of textile and apparel imports from the four largest U.S. suppliers—China, Vietnam, India and Mexico—fell in 2009 for the first time in three years.