U.S. imports of camping apparel and gear during the first three quarters ran 14.4 percent ahead of their levels for the comparable period last year, even as imports of toys, games and sporting goods dropped off in the low-single digits, according to trade data released by the U.S. Census.


Imports of camping apparel and gear reached $6.49 billion in the nine-month period, up 14.4 percent from the first three quarters of last year. For the month of September, such imports slipped 1.4 percent from September, 2010 to $706 million, Census estimates.

By comparison, September imports of toys, games and sporting goods for the nine months ended Sept. 30, reached $24.9 billion, down $842 million, or 2.3 percent from the year earlier period. For the month of September, those imports were down 6.7 percent to $2.64 billion from September 2010.


Exports of sports apparel and gear, meanwhile, reached $513 million in the first three quarters of the year, up 16.9 percent from the same period in 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.