U.S. underwear imports outperformed a weak apparel sector in September. Panjiva data shows U.S. imports fell less than 1% on a year earlier vs. 7% for the group overall. This was the result of a 9% increase in imports of men’s underwear. Branded products appear to have done worse than average. Hanesbrands’ imports were 38% lower than a year earlier for the third quarter, which may reflect the company running down inventory per its stated strategy. L Brands’ Victoria’s Secret started its peak U.S. import season poorly with a 14% drop in the month of September.