For the nine month period US imports of blue jeans from the western hemisphere rose 43.46 per cent.

Imports from Mexico rose 46.53 per cent. The countries of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) combined for an increase in imports of 32.69 per cent. Among CAFTA countries, shipments from Nicaragua rose 34.57 per cent while imports from Guatemala were up 24.73 per cent. Imports from Colombia were up 25.52 per cent.

The western hemisphere supply chain for textiles and apparel is a core pillar of the partnership between the United States and the countries of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement. The CAFTA-DR rules of origin provide the certainty needed by industry to invest and expand operations in a way that promotes economic opportunity for both US workers and those in the region. The US textile industry has invested over $20 billion in the United States and billions more in the hemisphere over the past decade to grow economic opportunities in the US and in the region.

Meanwhile US imports of jeans from Bangladesh increased 31.4 per cent in the nine month period. Shipments from China rose 15.02 per cent. Imports from Pakistan were up 63.4 per cent.