Book Exports Dropped 1.8% in 2002 to $1.68B

The dollar value of U.S. book exports slipped 1.8%, to $1.68 billion, in 2002, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Imports in the year rose 2.1%, to $1.66 billion.

The decline in exports was due in part to the weak Asian economy. Book exports to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines all fell in the year, with exports to Japan, America's third largest foreign book market, down 22%, to $100.8 million. Exports to Singapore and Hong Kong rose 1.2% and 7.3%, respectively, in 2002. Exports to Brazil, the largest book market in South America, plunged to $10.2 million from $19.1 million in 2001.

Exports to English-speaking countries held up well in the year. Canada remained the largest foreign market for books, with exports rising 2.1% in 2002, to $742.6 million. Exports to the United Kingdom posted a solid increase last year, to $270.6 million, while exports to Australia increased 7.3%, to $70.8 million.

In terms of book formats, textbook exports increased 11.5% in 2002, to $380 million, and exports in the "unclassified" segment rose 8%, to $484 million. Exports in the remaining major segments fell in the year. Exports in the professional book segment fell 9%, to $376 million; declined 14% in the paperback category, to $165 million; and dropped 16% in the hardcover category, to $110 million. Exports were also down in the smaller categories of religion (8%), dictionaries (42%), encyclopedias (5%) and art (4%).

The gain in book imports was led by China, where imports rose 26.5%, to $338.5 million. The increase reflects the rising popularity of China as a book manufacturing site. Since 1996, imports from China have jumped nearly 500%. The strong showing by China in the year, coupled with a 12% decline in imports from the U.K., to $267.8 million, let China overtake the U.K. as the largest source of book imports to the U.S. There were no major swings in business among the other major countries that ship books to the U.S. Imports from Canada rose 2%, to $251.1 million, and increased 4.1% from Singapore, to $100.6 million. Imports were down 2.7% from Hong Kong, to $223.4 million, and off 5% from Italy, to $83.4 million.