Chen explains that although labor costs in the mainland and SE Asia are one-fourth those in Nicaragua, the mainland and SE Asian countries are subject to quotas on their textile exports to the US. The mainland's quota is controlled by government officials, while in SE Asian nations it is difficult to get a share of the quota because of the many manufacturers competing.
陳榮秋分析，雖然大陸及東南亞的工資大約只有尼加拉瓜的四分之一，然而大陸及東南亞國家輸美紡織品都有配額，大陸的配額操縱在官方手中，而東南亞的配額則因競爭者眾，不易取得。