U.S. exports

In 1968, exports of books amounted in value to $151.6 million (about 7 percent of total domestic shipments), a 71-percent increase over the $88.6 million value of exports in 1964. Exports are concentrated in scientific, technical, and educational books. Books produced in the United States are of special interest in other countries and, therefore, are in demand in most export markets.

Canada was the most important export market during 1964-68, accounting for 42 percent of total exports (table 2). Japan, the United Kingdom, and Australia were secondary markets. For the years 1965-68, encyclopedias accounted for 23.8 percent of the exports of the books covered here; textbooks accounted for 21.4 percent; and technical, scientific, and professional books for 16.7 percent (table 3).

U.S. imports

The U.S. copyright law is the principal factor affecting competition between imports and domestic production of printed matter subject to authorship.

The value of U.S. imports of books in 1968 amounted to $68.1 million, a 55-percent increase over 1964 exports, valued at $43.8 million (table 4). Nevertheless, the number of books imported during 1964-68 decreased irregularly from 105.1 million in 1964 to 95.8 million in 1968 (table 4). As a result, the average unit value of imports increased from 42 cents per book in 1964 to 71 cents in each year 196668. The United Kingdom was the leading supplier during the period. The Netherlands, West Germany, Japan, and Italy were important secondary sources.

Imports of books are not classified by product class in the same manner as are exports (table 3), but are grouped in a more general way as shown in table 5. Books in the English language by other than U.S. authors or domiciliaries account for the bulk of imports.

October 1969

U.S. producers' shipments,

Table 1.--Books not elsewhere enumerated: imports for consumption, exports of domestic merchandise, and apparent consumption, 1964-68

Source: Compiled from official statistics of the U.S. Department of Commerce, except as noted.

Table 2.--Books not elsewhere enumerated: U.S. exports of domestic merchandise, by principal markets, 1964-68

Source: Compiled from official statistics of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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:

:

October 1969

Table 3.--Books not elsewhere enumerated: U.S. exports of
domestic merchandise, by kinds, 1965-68

Source: Compiled from official statistics of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Note.--Because of rounding, figures may not add to the totals shown.

October 1969

Table 4.--Books, not elsewhere enumerated: U.S. imports for
consumption, by principal sources, 1964-68

Source: Compiled from official statistics of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

October 1969

Table 5.--Books not elsewhere enumerated: U.S. imports for
consumption, by kinds and principal sources, 1968

(Quantity in thousands of books; value in thousands of dollars

Note: Because of rounding, figures may not add to the totals shown.

October 1969