The American textile industry has moved much of its operations offshore in the pursuit of lower labor costs. Over the past 50 years, textile imports have risen from 2% of all textile production to over 70%. Offshore manufacturers make long runs of standard mass-market apparel items. These are then brought to the United States in container ships, requiring significant time between original order and delivery. As a result, retail customers must accurately forecast market demands for imported apparel items.
Assuming that you work for a U.S.-based textile company, how would you recommend responding to the low-cost imports?