EXPORTS, IMPORTS, and TRADE BALANCE

KEY TRENDS

• The U.S. trade deficit in machinery continued to expand in 2005 as U.S. demand for durable goods, fueled by a healthy U.S. economy, relatively low interest rates, and moderate demand for residential homes, continued to increase.
  
  
• China surpassed Mexico as the largest exporter of machinery to the U.S. for the first time during the 2001-05 period.
  
  
• The largest U.S. machinery import increase during 2004-05 was in household appliances (residential and commercial).
  
  
• After experiencing strong growth in 2004, semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME) exports declined in 2005. This decline was mainly due to the cyclical downturn in the global semiconductor industry, which is the principal consuming industry of SME.
  
  

TRADE SHIFTS in 2005 from 2004

• U.S. trade deficit: Increased $9.4 billion (29 percent) to $41.2 billion
• U.S. exports: Increased $5.3 billion (7 percent) to $82.1 billion
• U.S. imports: Increased $14.7 billion (14 percent) to $123.3 billion
  

LINKS

USITC PUBLICATIONS
332 Investigations

• Foundry Products: Competitive Conditions in the U.S. Market

Industry Trade and Technology Review

• Production-Sharing Update: Developments in 2003 (Machinery and Electronic Products)

OTHER GOVERNMENT RESOURCES
U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration

• Office of Machinery

SECTOR SHIFTS

| Agricultural Products | Forest Products | Chemicals and Related Products |
| Energy and Related Products | Textiles, Apparel, and Footwear |
| Minerals and Metals | Machinery | Transportation Equipment |
| Electronic Products | Miscellaneous Manufactures |

COUNTRY SHIFTS