U.S. goods trade with China, by industry, 2001–2015 (in billions of nominal dollars)

2001 2015 Change 2001–2015 Percent change 2001–2015
Industry* Imports Exports Trade balance Imports Exports Trade balance Change in imports Change in exports Change in trade balance Change in imports Change in exports Change in trade balance
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting $0.8 $1.4 $0.6 $3.0 $17.1 $14.1 $2.2 $15.8 $13.5 299% N/A* N/A*
Mining $0.3 $0.1 -$0.2 $0.3 $2.2 $1.9 $0.0 $2.1 $2.1 -11% N/A* N/A*
Oil and gas $0.1 $0.0 -$0.1 $0.0 $1.0 $1.0 -$0.1 $1.0 $1.1 -99% N/A* -965%
Minerals and ores $0.2 $0.1 -$0.1 $0.2 $1.2 $0.9 $0.1 $1.1 $1.0 56% N/A* N/A*
Manufacturing $101.0 $16.7 -$84.4 $479.5 $90.7 -$388.8 $378.4 $74.0 -$304.4 375% 444% 361%
Nondurable goods $23.4 $1.0 -$22.4 $75.2 $6.0 -$69.2 $51.8 $5.0 -$46.8 221% 499% 209%
Food $0.6 $0.8 $0.2 $3.5 $3.3 -$0.3 $3.0 $2.5 -$0.4 499% 324% -246%
Beverage and tobacco products $0.0 $0.0 $0.0 $0.1 $1.7 $1.7 $0.0 $1.7 $1.7 106% N/A* N/A*
Textile mills and textile product mills $2.2 $0.1 -$2.1 $12.9 $0.5 -$12.5 $10.8 $0.4 -$10.4 492% 401% 496%
Apparel $8.6 $0.0 -$8.6 $33.6 $0.1 -$33.5 $25.0 $0.0 -$25.0 291% 142% 291%
Leather and allied products $12.0 $0.1 -$11.9 $25.0 $0.4 -$24.5 $13.0 $0.3 -$12.7 109% 363% 107%
Industrial supplies $9.6 $3.4 -$6.1 $47.5 $20.4 -$27.1 $37.9 $17.0 -$21.0 397% 498% 341%
Wood products $0.9 $0.1 -$0.8 $4.0 $1.2 -$2.8 $3.1 $1.1 -$2.0 351% N/A* 255%
Paper $0.7 $0.5 -$0.2 $3.9 $2.5 -$1.4 $3.2 $1.9 -$1.2 447% 375% 644%
Printed matter and related products $0.7 $0.1 -$0.7 $2.6 $0.2 -$2.3 $1.8 $0.1 -$1.7 251% 187% 259%
Petroleum and coal products $0.2 $0.1 -$0.1 $0.5 $1.0 $0.5 $0.3 $0.9 $0.6 145% N/A* -585%
Chemicals $1.8 $2.2 $0.4 $14.0 $13.4 -$0.6 $12.2 $11.2 -$0.9 668% 508% -245%
Plastics and rubber products $2.7 $0.2 -$2.5 $15.2 $1.3 -$13.9 $12.5 $1.1 -$11.4 461% 542% 454%
Nonmetallic mineral products $2.5 $0.2 -$2.3 $7.4 $0.7 -$6.7 $4.9 $0.5 -$4.4 195% 232% 191%
Durable goods $68.1 $12.3 -$55.9 $356.9 $64.3 -$292.6 $288.7 $52.0 -$236.7 424% 424% 424%
Primary metal $0.9 $0.2 -$0.6 $5.3 $1.8 -$3.5 $4.5 $1.6 -$2.9 524% 658% 472%
Fabricated metal products $3.9 $0.3 -$3.6 $21.3 $2.2 -$19.0 $17.4 $1.9 -$15.5 448% 648% 432%
Machinery $4.5 $2.5 -$2.0 $30.0 $9.5 -$20.5 $25.5 $7.0 -$18.5 561% 276% 916%
Computer and electronic parts $24.4 $5.3 -$19.1 $176.6 $17.4 -$159.3 $152.3 $12.1 -$140.2 625% 227% 736%
Computer and peripheral equipment $8.2 $1.6 -$6.6 $63.4 $2.2 -$61.2 $55.3 $0.6 -$54.6 676% 40% 828%
Communications, audio and video equipment $9.4 $0.9 -$8.5 $82.2 $2.8 -$79.5 $72.8 $1.8 -$71.0 772% 199% 834%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments $1.2 $1.0 -$0.3 $7.6 $5.5 -$2.1 $6.3 $4.5 -$1.8 507% 448% 739%
Semiconductor and other electronic components, and reproducing magnetic and optical media $5.5 $1.8 -$3.7 $23.4 $6.9 -$16.5 $17.9 $5.1 -$12.8 325% 283% 346%
Electrical equipment, appliances, and components $9.1 $0.5 -$8.6 $37.0 $2.7 -$34.3 $27.9 $2.2 -$25.7 308% 452% 299%
Transportation equipment $1.8 $2.9 $1.1 $17.5 $26.8 $9.4 $15.7 $23.9 $8.3 863% 824% 758%
Motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts $1.0 $0.3 -$0.8 $14.5 $11.3 -$3.3 $13.5 $11.0 -$2.5 N/A* N/A* 324%
Aerospace products and parts $0.1 $2.6 $2.5 $0.9 $15.4 $14.6 $0.8 $12.8 $12.1 868% 492% 479%
Railroad, ship, and other transportation equipment $0.7 $0.0 -$0.7 $2.1 $0.1 -$2.0 $1.4 $0.1 -$1.3 205% 374% 200%
Furniture and related products $4.9 $0.0 -$4.9 $20.2 $0.2 -$20.0 $15.2 $0.1 -$15.1 308% 648% 306%
Miscellaneous manufactured commodities $18.7 $0.5 -$18.2 $49.0 $3.7 -$45.3 $30.4 $3.3 -$27.1 163% 667% 149%
Information** $0.0 $0.0 $0.0 $0.0 $0.1 $0.1 $0.0 $0.1 $0.1 -33% N/A* N/A*
Scrap and second-hand goods $0.2 $1.1 $0.9 $0.5 $6.0 $5.5 $0.3 $4.9 $4.6 165% 439% 497%
Total $102.28 $19.23 -$83.0 $483.2 $116.1 -$367.2 $381.0 $96.8 -$284.1 372% 504% 342%

* Excludes utilities, construction, and service sectors, which reported no goods trade in this period.

** Includes publishing industries (excluding Internet); goods trade in this sector is concentrated in NAICS 5111, newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers.

N/A* Growth rates in excess of 1,000% are generally due to small trade flows in base year.

Source: Author's analysis of U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC 2016a). For a more detailed explanation of the data sources and computations, see the appendix.

View the underlying data on epi.org.