Electronic Products

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Changes in 2019 from 2018: 

• U.S. total exports of electronic products decreased by $4.1 billion (1.5 percent) to $273.0 billion. 
• U.S. general imports of electronic products decreased by $20.6 billion (4.1 percent) to $485.3 billion. 

 

U.S. total exports of electronic products fell by $4.1 billion (1.5 percent) to $273.0 billion in 2019 but remained higher than the annual levels from 2015 to 2017 (table EL.1). Re-export[1] activity is common in the electronic products sector: in 2019, U.S. re-exports accounted for 41.5 percent of U.S. total exports of electronic products. However, the value of U.S. re-exports decreased by $1.1 billion (1.0 percent) between 2018 and 2019, paralleling the overall decline in U.S. imports of electronic products of $20.6 billion (4.1 percent) to $485.3 billion in 2019 (table EL.2).  

 

 

China, Mexico, and Canada continued to be the top three destination markets for U.S. electronic products, accounting for a combined 31.8 percent of U.S. domestic exports. U.S. domestic exports to Mexico, however, posted the largest absolute decrease of any country, declining by $2.0 billion (10.3 percent). U.S. domestic exports to Mexico declined in each year during 2015–19, falling by $6.1 billion (26.2 percent) between 2015 and 2019. After maintaining its position as the top market for U.S. domestic exports of electronic products in 2015–18, Mexico was surpassed by China in 2019 as U.S. domestic exports to China increased by $1.6 billion (9.6 percent).[2] Germany and the Netherlands each moved up one position to rank fourth and fifth in 2019, respectively, which moved Japan from its position as fourth in 2018 to sixth in 2019.  

 

The decline in U.S. domestic exports was spurred by a drop in domestic exports of computers, peripherals, and parts (EL017), which fell by $1.7 billion (9.5 percent) to $16.3 billion, and telecommunications equipment (EL002), which also declined by $1.7 billion (11.1 percent) to $13.3 billion in 2019. The overall decreases were partially offset by an increase in U.S. domestic exports of medical goods (EL022) and semiconductors and integrated circuits (EL015), which rose by $937 million (2.7 percent) and $785 million (3.0 percent), respectively, from 2018 to 2019.  

 

 

 

From 2018 to 2019, U.S. imports of electronic products fell by $20.6 billion (4.1 percent) to $485.3 billion after rising by a total of $56.2 billion (12.5 percent) from 2016 to 2018. U.S. imports of electronic products from China saw the largest drop of $42.5 billion (20.2 percent); nonetheless, China remained the top supplier of electronic products into the United States. U.S. imports of electronic products from Vietnam saw the largest increase in both absolute value and percentage change, a jump of $10.8 billion (89.0 percent). The large increase in imports from Vietnam resulted in Vietnam becoming the fifth-largest supplier of electronic products to the United States, up from ninth in 2018. U.S. imports of electronic products from Taiwan had the second-largest increase, rising $7.6 billion (39.9 percent) to $26.6 billion in 2019.[3]

 

The decreases in computers, peripherals, and parts (EL017) and telecommunications equipment (EL002) primarily drove the decline in U.S. imports of electronic products in 2019. U.S. imports of computers, peripherals, and parts (EL017) fell by $11.5 billion (8.3 percent) to $126.4 billion and imports of telecommunications equipment (EL002) dropped by $9.7 billion (8.7 percent) to $102.2 billion in 2019. These declines were partially offset by increases in U.S. imports of medical goods (EL022) and circuit apparatus assemblies (EL012). From 2018 to 2019, U.S. imports of medical goods (EL022) rose by $3.7 billion (7.8 percent) to $50.9 billion, while imports of circuit apparatus assemblies (EL012) rose by $768 million (6.2 percent) to $13.1 billion.