The Central American Textile Industry Is Seeking Regional Integration

2010-10-15

The Central American textile industry and association representatives are in El Salvador to participate in the 2010 Textile Industry Forum (FOROTEX 2010), hosted by El Salvador's Textile Industry Association (Camtex), to discuss the current challenges of the global trade environment for the textile industry, and the future economic outlook of the United States. The Central American countries have reached a consensus that the textile industry should be integrated into communities. Because the U.S. textile buyers have not yet made bulk purchases of Central American products, and the U.S. retailers are holding a reserved attitude on the economic outlook, the 2010 U.S. textile and apparel orders to the Central American countries are not substantially growing. President of the U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparels, Julia Hughes, said that the United States textile industry still feels uneasy about the economic environment, but thinks the recession in Central America will end, and that a few Central American countries have received more than double digit orders for textiles. However, not only is the Central American textile industry facing stiff competition from China and Vietnam, the competition from Mexico should not be ignored.