EXPORTS, IMPORTS, and TRADE BALANCE

KEY TRENDS

• Relatively low U.S. home mortgage rates and the resulting high turnover in the housing market boosted U.S. imports of furniture and lamps.
  
  
• High gold prices pushed up the value of U.S. imports and exports of precious jewelry.
  
  
• U.S. furniture companies have turned to Chinese contractors for the production of labor-intensive wood furniture, leading to increased U.S. imports.
  

TRADE SHIFTS in 2004 from 2003

• U.S. trade deficit: Increased $6.4 billion (11 percent) to $66.3 billion
• U.S. exports: Increased $2.1 billion (14 percent) to $16.9 billion
• U.S. imports: Increased $8.5 billion (11 percent) to $83.2 billion
• Furniture exhibited the largest shift.

LINKS

USITC PUBLICATIONS
Title VII Investigations

• Wooden Bedroom Furniture From China

OTHER GOVERNMENT RESOURCES
U.S. Department of Commerce, Consumer Goods Industries

• Household and Office Furniture
• Musical Instruments
• Sporting and Athletic Goods
• Toys, Dolls, and Games
• Travel Goods

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