00 $30,429,000JCPenney 18,964,000 19,114,000Federated 18,217,000 15,833,000May 13,869,000 13,048,000Dillards 8,677,000 7,770,000 INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOKImports and Exports: The largest suppliers of imports of apparel products to the U.S. market are China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. These four countries accounted for nearly half of U.S. imports of all apparel products.Many U.S. retailers and catalog companies have established sales outlets in other countries to sell U.S. apparel products. Men's outerwear is one of the largest export categories. Men's and boys trousers are the most important products exported to Japan, Canada, and the European Community (EC), followed by men's and boys' knit shirts. Menswear and women's outerwear exports recorded particularly steep increases in 1993. Children's wear and women's and children's underwear continue to make strong export gains. Japan, the EC countries, and Canada are the largest customers for U.S. apparel, with steep gains in shipments the past few years. Sales of completed garments to Mexico also grew sharply. After the United States and Canada implemented a free trade agreement in 1989, the U.S. share of the Canadian apparel market grew sharply. During the same time period, however, the U.S. share of the Mexican market dropped following liberalization of Mexican import barriers. Exports of U.S. clothing have been growing rapidly to Eastern Europe and China, where demand is increasing for upscale goods, status symbols, and Western looks. U.S. manufacturers and retailers that are able to take advantage of opportunities in these countries should experience a surge in their exports. Exports of apparel to the Caribbean Basin countries have also advanced sharply in recent years, particularly to the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. U.S. apparel manufacturers and retailers should also c...
