Apparel maker Hanesbrands Inc. has completed the transfer of operations from a U.S. plant to La Libertad, El Salvador, the latest in a string of recent factory relocations that have meant lost jobs in the United States but a gain for struggling economies south of the border.
“We´re optimizing the capacity and knowledge that we have in this region,” Edgardo González, the garment manufacturer´s regional product development manager, told the Salvadoran daily La Prensa Gráfica.
The company has announced several plant closures in the United States this year, cutting hundreds of jobs. The move to El Salvador is expected to create more than 50 new posts, according to La Prensa Gráfica. U.S. news media reported that the Salvadoran plant will absorb production mostly from Barnwell, South Carolina.
Over the decade, Hanesbrands has set up plants in Honduras and the Dominican Republic as well.
Economists say El Salvador could use more arrivals like these. Funds flowing in from migrant workers abroad are expected to slow by 10 percent this year.
Costa Rica has also celebrated recent installations from U.S. companies, including Amway Global and Boston Scientific Corp.
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