Led by India, Exports Rise 7%

Book exports rose 7.2%, to $974.0 million, in the first half of 2007, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Shipments to India shot up the most in the period, to $22 million, making the fast-growing country the seventh largest market for books at the midway point of 2007. The increase in exports to India was led by shipments of professional books (up 214%) and paperbacks (ahead 171%).

Among the other major markets, exports to Mexico registered a solid gain of 16%, moving it into fourth place, ahead of Japan, where exports fell 13.1% in the first half of the year. Book exports to Japan have declined steadily after peaking at $129 million for the full year in 2001. Exports to the top three markets—Canada, the U.K. and Australia—increased moderately in the period.

Exports of professional books rose 12.5% in the first six months, to $247.3 million, keeping the segment the largest export category; textbook exports, the second biggest segment, declined 4.2%, to $192.0 million. Hardcover exports were off 8.9% in the period, to $67.8 million, while paperback exports rose 7.9%, to $116.3 million.

Book imports, which include a mix of books manufuactured abroad as well as foreign titles shipped to the U.S. for sale, rose 7.8% in the January–June period, with imports from China up 20.3%, to $344.0 million. With an increase of 22%, to $165.7 million, the U.K. moved ahead of Canada as the second largest exporter of books to the U.S. Canadian imports fell 1.3%.