Modest Export Gains
by Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 9/19/2005
Book exports rose 4.1% in the first six months of 2005, to $863 million. Exports rose a healthy 7.2% to Canada, the largest export market, but fell to the U.K. and Japan. Book shipments to Mexico grew the fastest in the period, making Mexico, at least for the moment, the fourth largest international market for books, ahead of Australia.
Among the major book segments, exports of professional books increased 27.3% in the first half of 2005, to $213.3 million, while exports of hardcovers rose 16.6%, to $80 million. Textbook exports fell 13.4%, to $178.8 million.
The increasing importance of China as a manufacturer of American books was reflected once again in import figures. For the first half of 2005, imports from China rose 16.9%, to $246.4 million, while imports from the U.K. rose 11.6%, to $147.6 million. Imports from Canada, the third largest source of imports, fell 4.2%, to $134.8 million. Overall, total imports rose 8.7% in the six-month period, to $921.7 million.
| Country | 2004 | 2005 | % Change |
| Canada | $362.7 | $388.1 | 7.2% |
| United Kingdom | 150.3 | 129.3 | -14.0 |
| Japan | 51.3 | 47.6 | -7.3 |
| Australia | 35.8 | 44.0 | 22.9 |
| Mexico | 32.8 | 47.2 | 43.9 |
| Singapore | 32.8 | 25.6 | -21.9 |
| Germany | 15.8 | 13.1 | -17.1 |
| Korea | 14.8 | 19.8 | 33.8 |
| Hong Kong | 10.7 | 7.7 | -28.0 |
| China | 9.1 | 7.5 | -17.6 |
| South Africa | 8.6 | 9.6 | 11.6 |
| Netherlands | 8.3 | 5.8 | -30.1 |
| India | 7.1 | 8.9 | 25.5 |
| Taiwan | 6.5 | 6.4 | -0.6 |
| Philippines | 5.3 | 9.0 | 68.7 |
| Total, Top 15 | $751.9 | $ 769.6 | 2.3% |
| Total, World | 829.3 | 863.0 | 4.1 |
| Source: U.S. Commerce Department | |||
