U.S. foreign trade in materials used in construction

Construction Review, Fall, 1997 by C.B. Pitcher, Chris Twarok

[Figure 3 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

U.S. Exports

U.S. exports of the nonwood building materials in 1988 were 18

percent less than the peak year of 1981. Between 1989 and 1996,

however, they more than doubled to almost $5 billion (see table 1).

Exports in 1996 were 9.4 percent higher than those in 1995.

The flat glass (architectural and automotive) industry exported

the largest value of product in 1996, the first industry in this grouping

to exceed the billion dollar export mark ($1.1 billion). The next largest

export category was builders' hardware with about $480 million, down

slightly from its 1995 pace. Other categories with sizable exports

included fabricated structural metals ($469 million), plastic pipe and

fittings ($341 million quarter billion), mineral wool ($253 million), and

prefabricated metal buildings ($233 million). Other materials with an

export volume in excess of $100 million were crushed and broken

stone/sand & gravel, other prefabricated buildings, metal doors (sash

and trim), cast iron pipe and fittings, water heaters, sheet metal work,

and other construction plastics products. Combining the four

plumbing fixtures and fittings codes gives an export total of $191

million.

The SIC industries with the fastest growth in exports over the

1989-96 period were prestressed concrete steel strand, other plastic

construction products, asphalt felts and coatings, prefabricated metal

buildings, concrete products n.e.c., prefab wood buildings, structural

clay products n.e.c., mineral wool, other prefab buildings, solid

plastics floor covering, plastic plumbing fixtures, and plastic pipe and

fittings. It should be noted that the percentage increase for some of

these categories were computed from a small base.

Canada continues as the major customer for U.S. made non-wood

construction materials. In 1996, U.S. exports of these products to

Canada totaled $1.7 billion, 35% of all such U.S. export (Figure 2).

Mexico was second with a 11 percent (compared to 17 percent in

1994). Other than the United Kingdom, all the other major customer

nations were Asian (Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, and

Taiwan). These eight countries accounted for about 68 percent of all

U.S. exports of these products. Table 1 shows the leading export

customers for each of the individual SIC product codes.

[Figure 2 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

U.S. Imports

U.S. imports of non-wood building products have generally risen

over the last decade (see table 2). There was a temporary drop-off in

1990 and 1991 during the U.S. construction recession. Between 1981

and 1988 imports rose 194 percent, and from 1989 to 1996 they were

up another 68 percent, in spite of the major declines in the early

1990's. The 1996 total of almost $6.75 billion was 15 percent greater

than in 1994, the fourth straight year of record levels of imports of

these nonwood building products. The 1996 total was more than

double the level 10 years earlier.

Product classifications with the largest import levels in 1996 were

flat glass, builders' hardware, ceramic tile, cement, and cut stone