U.S. department store chain Bon-Ton has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. That’s not a surprise after it missed an interest payment in December, and followed a two year downturn in its business. Yet, curiously, Bon-Ton’s seaborne imports surged in January to the highest since October 2015 (before the downturn set in) and were 2.33x the monthly average in the prior 12 months. That may reflect a return to confidence from its suppliers that it is control of its financial restructuring, or increased imports over domestic sourcing. The identities of the main suppliers aren’t...