US imports and exports of industrial supply declined, while automotive vehicles rose in 2019.
According to the US Census Bureau Trade Goods report, industrial supplies exports from the US in 2019 were down by almost 3pc from 2018, when they were worth $541.73bn; in 2019 exports totaled $530.63bn. In 2018, the US imported industrial supplies worth $575.62bn, while in 2019 imports dropped by around 10pc to $522.01bn.
Under the industrial supply category, the US exported $7.36bn worth of aluminium and alumina in 2019, down by around 16pc from $8.73bn in 2018. Iron and steel mill product exports were also down by almost 15pc in 2019 at $7.92bn, compared to $9.25bn in 2018. Exports of non-ferrous metals exports also declined by around 7pc in 2019, totaling at $8.09bn, down from $8.7bn in 2018.
Copper exports decreased by 6pc in 2019 to $6.9bn from $7.3bn in the previous year, while steelmaking material exports dropped 6pc to $7.9bn, compared to $8.4bn in 2018.
Imports of iron and steel mill products declined by 20pc in 2019 to $16.35bn, down from $20.3bn in 2018. Steelmaking materials imported into the US also declined by 20pc in 2019 to $7.95bn from $9.90bn in 2018. Bauxite and aluminium dropped by 11pc in 2019 to $14.72bn from $16.47bn in 2018, while copper imports fell by 19pc to $4.9bn from $6.03bn during the previous year. Nickel imports dropped by 7pc, and zinc declined by nearly 8pc in 2019 from the prior year.
Automotive vehicle imports and exports to and from the US showed promise in 2019. Import increased by 2pc in 2019 to $376.08bn from to $372.21bn in 2018. Exports also increase by 2pc in 2019 tp $161.84bn from $158.83bn a year earlier.
Engine and engine part exports rose by 3pc to $21.33bn in 2019 from $20.85bn in 2018. However, import declined by 4pc in 2019 to $29.17bn from $30.19bn in 2018. Exports for other automotive parts and accessories declined by 6pc in 2019 to $57.91bn from $61.30bn in 2018. Imports decreased by 2pc in 2019 to $111.27bn from $113.07bn in 2018.