MARCH 8, 1999 - VOL 16, NO 10

U.S. IMPORTS FALL 3.2 PER CENT IN1998.

The annual study is compiled by the SGMAfrom U.S. Commerce data. The total import figure is $7.61billion, down from 1997’s record total of $7.86 billion.Sports equipment fell less than 1 per cent versus a 1.2 per centincrease in the prior year. Athletic footwear imports slid 15 percent, almost the exact size of their 1997 (+15.1%) increase.Footballs (+49.6%), exercise cycles (+39.9%) and synthetic tents(+23%) posted the largest increases. Rollerskates (-26.8%),soccer balls (-17.3%) and basketballs (-13.3%) were the productswith the largest declines in import value.