By Constance Gustke & Evan Clark
This is the age of Asia, including in apparel production. Indonesia, Cambodia and especially China are winning business away from Central America at an impressive clip. Even the passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement last year, which lowers barriers to commerce, cannot stem the tide. So far, CAFTA has had minimal impact. For example, Mexico, which once had favorite apparel-making status, saw its business slip 13 percent in the 12-month period ending May 31. El Salvador and the Dominican Republic also have had double-digit dips.