Book exports stayed relatively flat in 2000, inching ahead 0.3%, to $1.88 billion, according to figures released last week by the U.S. Commerce Department. The gain marked the fourth year in a row of little change in book exports with export sales ranging between $1.90 billion and $1.84 billion in the 1997 through 2000 period. Exports to the top 15 markets for American books rose 0.4% in 2000, to $1.662 billion, and represented 88.5% of all exports.
Exports to Asian countries posted the strongest gains in the year due largely to an improving economic climate plus better copyright enforcement. With a gain of 21.7%, to $123.1 million, Japan regained its spot as the third largest market for U.S. books, a position it last held in 1996. Japan overtook Australia, where exports fell 16.7%, to $116.3 million, last year. Exports to Canada, America's largest book trading partner, fell 6.3% in 2000, to $756.7 million, the third straight year exports to Canada have declined as the Canadian dollar remained weak compared to the U.S. dollar. Exports to the U.K. rose 4.2%, to $264.2 million.
The biggest increase in book exports among Asian destinations was to Hong Kong, where exports jumped 57.2%, to $32.5 million, while exports to South Korea increased 49.4%, to $36.8 million. Exports to Singapore rose to 47.5%, to $60.7 million, and to Taiwan, shipments were up 42.5%, to $35.7 million.
The country that had the largest gain was Italy, where exports rose 61.6%, to $16.6 million. Italy was one of the few European countries where exports rose last year, as exports to the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium all fell, due mainly to the strength of the dollar against the euro.
Among the major book categories, exports of professional books slipped 1.4%, to $502.6 million, while textbook exports increased 1.1%, to $326.8 million. Paperback exports fell 4.9%, to $220.9 million, although hardcover exports gained 5.4%, to $136.8 million. Exports of religion books did well in the year, rising 20.3%, to $67.8 million.
Top U.S. Export Markets, 1999—2000 ($ in millions)
| Country | 1999 | 2000 | % CHANGE |
| Canada | $807.5 | $756.7 | -6.3% |
| United Kingdom | 253.6 | 264.2 | 4.2 |
| Japan | 101.1 | 123.1 | 21.7 |
| Australia | 139.6 | 116.3 | -16.7 |
| Mexico | 65.6 | 73.9 | 12.6 |
| Singapore | 41.1 | 60.7 | 47.5 |
| Netherlands | 68.1 | 58.8 | -13.7 |
| South Korea | 24.6 | 36.8 | 49.4 |
| Taiwan | 25.1 | 35.7 | 42.5 |
| Germany | 43.1 | 34.3 | -20.4 |
| Hong Kong | 20.7 | 32.5 | 57.2 |
| Philippines | 14.0 | 18.3 | 30.6 |
| Belgium | 24.7 | 17.6 | -28.6 |
| Italy | 10.3 | 16.6 | 61.6 |
| Brazil | 16.9 | 16.5 | -2.4 |
| Total, Top 15 | $1,656.0 | $1662.0 | 0.4% |
| Total, World | 1,871.1 | 1,877.0 | 0.3 |
Source: U.S. Commerce Department
