Statistics
Boston exports slip, as five of Top 10 commodities are down
June 28th, 2006
Boston’s trade with the world increased a paltry 4.4 percent through the first four months of 2006, according to WorldCity analysis of U.S. Census data.
Exports actually decreased 3.6 percent, or $124 million. Imports grew 8.4 percent in the same period.
| Rank | Exports | Jan.-April 2006 | Jan.-April 2005 | 1 Yr $ Change | 1 Yr % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total, All Commodities | $3,289,536,841 | $3,413,968,331 | ($124,431,490) | -3.64% | |
| 1 | Human blood, animal blood, plasma, vaccines | $465,893,947 | $696,700,248 | ($230,806,301) | -33.13% |
| 2 | Medical instruments for surgeons, dentists, vets | $387,826,021 | $299,209,104 | $88,616,917 | 29.62% |
| 3 | Hormones and steroids used as hormones | $325,098,285 | $416,684,171 | ($91,585,886) | -21.98% |
| 4 | Electronic integrated circuits | $249,454,708 | $197,352,592 | $52,102,116 | 26.40% |
| 5 | Aircraft | $181,698,862 | $243,230,772 | ($61,531,910) | -25.30% |
| 6 | Medicine | $160,536,398 | $216,300,186 | ($55,763,788) | -25.78% |
| 7 | Regional jet parts | $154,593,101 | $17,073,281 | $137,519,820 | 805.47% |
| 8 | Computers | $92,770,097 | $99,742,667 | ($6,972,570) | -6.99% |
| 9 | Centrifuges, filters, machines and parts | $60,037,048 | $54,807,572 | $5,229,476 | 9.54% |
| 10 | Medical equipment for physicals, including anal exams | $54,943,949 | $48,433,708 | $6,510,241 | 13.44% |
| 11 | Computer parts | $48,536,123 | $48,032,812 | $503,311 | 1.05% |
| 12 | Miscellaneous electrical machinery | $38,409,107 | $43,345,884 | ($4,936,777) | -11.39% |
| 13 | Medical technology | $36,240,510 | $36,684,142 | ($443,632) | -1.21% |
| 14 | Misc. medical chemical re-agents | $35,431,394 | $40,919,269 | ($5,487,875) | -13.41% |
| 15 | Scrap iron, steel | $34,254,203 | $57,276,536 | ($23,022,333) | -40.20% |
Five of Boston’s Top 10 exports declined in the first four months of the year, including the top-ranked category, blood, plasma and vaccines; hormones and steroids; aircraft; medicine; and computers.
On the import side, eight of the Top 10 commodities showed gains over the same four-month period of 2005, according to WorldCity analysis.
| Rank | Imports | Jan.-April 2006 | Jan.-April 2005 | 1 Yr $ ch | 1 Yr % Ch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total, All Commodities | $7,335,320,735 | $6,765,227,491 | $570,093,244 | 8.43% | |
| 1 | Oil, not crude | $1,696,286,787 | $1,338,429,347 | $357,857,440 | 26.74% |
| 2 | Medical instruments for surgeons, dentists, vets | $632,295,265 | $618,005,289 | $14,289,976 | 2.31% |
| 3 | Petroleum gases, other gaseous hydrocarbons | $478,410,908 | $320,414,867 | $157,996,041 | 49.31% |
| 4 | Medicine | $382,301,595 | $197,415,321 | $184,886,274 | 93.65% |
| 5 | Exports of repaired imports Imports of returned exports | $233,222,497 | $222,432,288 | $10,790,209 | 4.85% |
| 6 | Footware, sole of rubber, plastic or leather; upper leather | $179,928,579 | $192,490,427 | ($12,561,848) | -6.53% |
| 7 | Fish fillets, chilled or frozen | $177,237,073 | $151,570,368 | $25,666,705 | 16.93% |
| 8 | Regional jet parts | $115,255,469 | $78,435,784 | $36,819,685 | 46.94% |
| 9 | Hormones and steroids used as hormones | $114,423,902 | $208,991,734 | ($94,567,832) | -45.25% |
| 10 | Women's or girls' suits, not knit | $110,818,243 | $93,802,274 | $17,015,969 | 18.14% |
| 11 | Medical equipment for physicals, including anal exams | $93,731,418 | $103,638,569 | ($9,907,151) | -9.56% |
| 12 | Computers | $84,657,709 | $157,469,368 | ($72,811,659) | -46.24% |
| 13 | Motor vehicles for transporting people | $81,410,256 | $51,217,617 | $30,192,639 | 58.95% |
| 14 | Miscellaneous medicines | $73,629,180 | $36,578,854 | $37,050,326 | 101.29% |
| 15 | Refined copper, alloys, unwrought | $65,447,454 | $90,264,186 | ($24,816,732) | -27.49% |
The top import remains refined petroleum products, which accounts for almost 25 percent of all Boston imports and increased almost 27 percent. Another big increase was various medicines, which almost doubled year over year.
Among the Top 10, hormones and steroids used as hormones dropped more than 45 percent.
Among the Top 10 trade partners, Germany which ranked No. 3 through the first four months of 2005, moved into the top position this year, slipping past previous No. 1 Canada and No. 2 Netherlands. It finished 2005 in the No. 3 position but had been No. 1 in 2004.
| 1-Yr Rank ch | April 2006 YTD | April 2005 YTD | Total Trade | April 2006 YTD | April 2005 YTD | 1-Yr $ Ch | 1 Yr % ch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Total | $10,624,857,576 | $10,179,195,822 | $445,661,754 | 4.38% | |||
| 2 | 1 | 3 | Germany | $1,182,603,183 | $1,040,373,007 | $142,230,176 | 13.67% |
| -1 | 2 | 1 | Canada | $1,120,226,885 | $1,215,478,382 | $(95,251,497) | -7.84% |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | China | $995,625,592 | $859,898,586 | $135,727,006 | 15.78% |
| -2 | 4 | 2 | Netherlands | $973,093,806 | $1,176,640,500 | $(203,546,694) | -17.30% |
| 1 | 5 | 6 | United Kingdom | $638,506,608 | $602,030,415 | $36,476,193 | 6.06% |
| -1 | 6 | 5 | Ireland | $607,337,999 | $676,479,508 | $(69,141,509) | -10.22% |
| 0 | 7 | 7 | Sweden | $491,819,615 | $466,668,741 | $25,150,874 | 5.39% |
| 1 | 8 | 9 | Trinidad and Tobago | $478,585,541 | $320,873,745 | $157,711,796 | 49.15% |
| -1 | 9 | 8 | France | $366,273,631 | $356,306,951 | $9,966,680 | 2.80% |
| 1 | 10 | 11 | Japan | $320,493,895 | $305,131,154 | $15,362,741 | 5.03% |
| 1 | 11 | 12 | Italy | $273,704,716 | $268,883,062 | $4,821,654 | 1.79% |
| 5 | 12 | 17 | Malaysia | $267,614,329 | $136,206,362 | $131,407,967 | 96.48% |
| 3 | 13 | 16 | Belgium | $260,359,573 | $152,885,302 | $107,474,271 | 70.30% |
| -1 | 14 | 13 | Venezuela | $225,989,909 | $254,526,932 | $(28,537,023) | -11.21% |
| -1 | 15 | 14 | Switzerland | $197,759,975 | $190,574,673 | $7,185,302 | 3.77% |
The big drop so far through the first four months of 2005 was Thailand, No. 10 in 2005 and now No. 15, after seeing its trade with Boston slip more than 50 percent.
Logan International Airportis the leading engine of the Boston Customs district on the export side, which includes 15 airports and seaport in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Through the first four months of the year, it accounted for $2.5 billion of the total of $3.3 billion in exports. The Port of Boston accounted for$441 million.
On the import side,the Port of Boston is responsible for more than half the value while Logan Internatonal takes up the lion’s share of the remainder of the $7.3 billion.
Six-month report: Boston trade up slightly, but exports drop (08/22/2006)
Boston exports slip, as five of Top 10 commodities are down (06/28/2006)
Despite important medical exports, Boston's $31.6 billion in annual trade is dependent on imports (03/15/2006)
Boston's trade increases 6.4%Canada, Netherlands leapfrog Germany (01/01/2006)