Costa Rica became the fifth country to join the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the United States. Costa Rica, the wealthiest of the Central American countries was initially hesitant about joining the group, delaying talks for a month before deciding to join after negotiations with the U.S. Central American countries import approximately $9 billion a year in products from the U.S., while the U.S. imports roughly $11 billion in products from Central America. This agreement is widely thought to have major implications for the textile industries in the Western Hemisphere.