U.S. Imports Of Auto Parts Fell In First Half

Autoparts Report, Sept 25, 2001

A slowing economy and a softening demand for autos, resulted in lower imports of auto parts into the United States in the first half of 2001. First half imports fell to $31.3 billion, a decline of 8.2 percent from the comparable 2000 period (see table on pages 8-9).

As demand for vehicles continue to slide, U.S. manufacturers curtailed their off-shore component sourcing for many major items.

Imports of gas-powered engines dropped more than $500 million, falling to $3.07 billion - a 14.1 percent decline. Also hit hard were imports of wiring harnesses/ignition wiring sets. Imports of these labor intensive components fell by more than $313 million, or by 11.8 percent, in the first six months to $2.34 billion.

Imports of vehicle bodies and body parts declined by 9 percent to $2.72 billion, while brakes and brake parts imports dropped 11.3 percent to $1.04 billion.

Truck and bus tire imports were sharply curtailed in the first half of 2001, dropping by more than a third to $604 million. Passenger auto tire imports were not as severely affected by the slowdown, falling only 7.7 percent to $1.03 billion.

In some cases, component import levels are attributable more toward changing consumer demand than to the overall market decline for vehicles. For example, imports of radio-tape players dropped sharply to $716 million, or by almost 29 percent, as consumers preferred cars equipped with CD-radios. Imports of CD-radios, captured under the import grouping "Other Radios," jumped by 29.3 percent to $1.01 billion.

U.S. IMPORTS OF AUTO PARTS, BY PRODUCT GROUP
(In Thousands of Dollars)

PRODUCT GROUP

JAN. - JUN.
2000

JAN. - JUN.
2001

% CHANGE
Jan-Jun 01/00

GAS ENGINES
3,569,640
3,065,597
-14.1%

TRANSMISSIONS AND PARTS
3,083,521
3,007,607
-2.5%

BODIES AND PARTS
2,987,617
2,718,427
-9.0%

IGNITION WIRING SETS/HARNESSES
2,653,643
2,340,431
-11.8%

SEATS AND OTHER FURNITURE FOR VEHICLES
1,552,977
1,546,617
-0.4%

PARTS OF GAS ENGINES
1,437,469
1,329,388
-7.5%

BRAKES AND PARTS
1,173,465
1,040,669
-11.3%

PASSENGER AUTO TIRES
1,113,007
1,027,289
-7.7%

OTHER RADIOS
781,540
1,010,200
29.3%

ELECTRICAL IGNITION AND SIGNALING EQUIPMENT
758,306
739,527
-2.5%

RADIO-TAPE PLAYER COMBINATIONS
1,006,001
716,371
-28.8%

WHEELS AND PARTS
641,891
629,572
-1.9%

TRUCK AND BUS TIRES
912,557
604,481
-33.8%

LOCKS, HINGES AND PARTS
641,378
586,535
-8.6%

AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSORS AND PARTS
604,242
551,856
-8.7%

SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETERS, ODOMETERS AND PARTS
501,439
500,671
-0.2%

ELECTRICAL LIGHTING AND SIGNALING EQUIPMENT
436,474
403,340
-7.6%

FUEL INJECTION PUMPS AND PARTS
434,479
385,327
-11.3%

HOSES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF RUBBER
360,510
366,709
1.7%

BUMPERS AND PARTS
323,308
343,047
6.1%

SAFETY BELTS
401,396
339,867
-15.3%

SPRINGS AND LEAVES FOR SPRINGS
344,738
260,368
-24.5%

PARTS OF DIESEL ENGINES
337,046
249,033
-26.1%

AIRBAGS, INFLATORS AND MODULES
215,632
238,437
10.6%

WINDSHIELD WIPERS, DEFROSTERS AND DEMISTERS
216,829
229,361
5.8%

RADIATORS
210,307
210,400
0.0%

LAMINATED GLASS/WINDSHIELDS
170,576
193,178
13.3%

CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
145,864
191,063
31.0%

BODY STAMPINGS
185,506
177,234
-4.5%

MUFFLERS AND TAILPIPES
129,183
172,842
33.8%

BALL BEARINGS
185,668
166,965
-10.1%

FILTERS FOR ENGINES
164,582
163,301
-0.8%

CAMSHAFTS AND CRANKSHAFTS
186,413
160,211
-14.1%

ROLLER BEARINGS
154,709
145,584
-5.9%

SHOCK ABSORBERS
145,063
133,526
-8.0%

LEAD ACID BATTERIES
79,065
109,851
38.9%

JACKS, HOISTS , WINCHES AND PARTS
116,448
109,302
-6.1%

SPARK PLUGS
91,729
97,574
6.4%

TRAILORS AND PARTS
108,025
81,524
-24.5%

RUBBER TIRES FOR OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLES
96,955
78,696
-18.8%

TEMPERED GLASS
91,978
77,405
-15.8%

BRAKE LININGS AND PADS
72,154
73,187
1.4%

CASSETTE PLAYERS
58,205
60,000
3.1%

FANS, BLOWERS AND PARTS
52,314
59,539
13.8%

MIRRORS
62,144
57,012
-8.3%

DIESEL ENGINES
106,164
55,409
-47.8%

RADAR DETECTORS
41,094
35,773
-12.9%

TUNGSTEN HALOGEN LAMPS
18,014
29,596
64.3%


CB TRANSCEIVERS
25,191
20,149
-20.0%

FASTENERS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES
17,338
17,361
0.1%

TUBES FOR TIRES
5,556
7,868
41.6%

BRAKE FLUIDS AND OTHER VEHICLE FLUIDS
8,799
6,218
-29.3%

CELLULAR TELEPHONES
5,034
5,006
-0.6%

INSTRUMENT PANEL CLOCKS & SIMILAR DEVICES
3,107
4,692
51.0%

SEALED BEAM LAMP UNITS
2,514
3,110
23.7%

ELECTRIC MOTORS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES
442
798
80.5%

NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES USED IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES
806
651
-19.2%

ALL OTHER PARTS
4,865,860
4,360,003
-10.4%

TOTAL
34,095,914
31,295,756
-8.2%

Source: Compiled from U.S. Department of Commerce data.