The declared customs value of sporting goods imports rose to $4,194.7 million from $3,872.0 million for the first three months of 2013. By far the strongest growth was in the sneaker sector, where the value of imports shot up 14% to $1,342.2 million, which far outpaced the 2% increase in the value of apparel imports to $782.7 million. Equipment imports rose 8% during the period to $2,070.8 million.

Our quarterly study of U.S. imports is drawn from the International Trade Commission’s database on imports using proprietary queries developed by SGI. Dollar values are based on declared customs value and unit values ... Log in to view full article.