CNI Survey: US May chem trade deficit rises near 4-fold

11 July 2003 16:19  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (CNI)--The US trade deficit for chemical products nearly quadrupled in May when the nation imported $438m (Euro388m) more chemicals than it exported, a CNI survey of government data revealed Friday.

That figure is up 256% from the deficit of $123m recorded for May 2002, according to CNI's review of data from the US Census Bureau.

The trade deficit remained flat at $997m for organic chemicals, the largest of eight categories tracked monthly by the Census Bureau, according to CNI's calculations.

The figures also showed trade deficits of $1.2bn in medicinal chemicals and $227bn in inorganic chemicals.

Overall, exports increased 5% to $7.5bn but imports jumped 9% on the month to $7.9bn.

Here's a chart comparing the chemical trade figures for May in each of the last two years as reported by the Census Bureau and compiled by CNI:

PRODUCT	'03 EXP '03 IMP	BALANCE	'02 EXP '02 IMP	BALANCE
cosmetics	542 472	70	495 335	160
dyeing	353 213	140	355 211	144
fertilisers	197 160	37	249 129	120
inorganic chemicals	482 709	-227	486 625	-139
medicinal	1550 2770	-1220	1222 1898	-676
organic chemicals	1607 2604	-997	1591 2581	-990
plastics	1692 1045	647	1710 935	775
Other	1112 634	478	1065 582	483
TOTALS	7535 7973	-438	7173 7296	-123

By: Gary Taylor
+1 713 525 2653

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