Statistics
Semi-annual report: Houston growth at faster clip than most
September 8th, 2006
Houston’s trade with the world grew at a 21.5 percent clip through the first six months of the year, faster than all but a handful of Customs districts around the nation, according to WorldCity’s analysis of the most recent statistics released by U.S. Census.
Here are the highlights (charts at bottom):
—Imports were led by a $5.3 billion surge in the price of crude oil, accounting for 40 percent of the total increase in total trade with the world.
—Houston’s fastest-growing trade partner, on a percentage basis, is Algeria, with a 53 percent growth rate over the first six months of 2005. China was No. 2, with almost 50 percent growth, catapulting it past Germany and the United Kingdom into Houston’s fourth most important trade partner. Algeria is No. 9, also up two notches.
—The only Customs districts among the top 25 growing faster than Houston, in percentage terms, are Tampa, Fla., at 45 percent, and Great Falls, Mont., 24 percent. The former includes all of Florida about South Florida, including Jacksonville, while the latter includes a wide swath in the Western United States, including Denver. Dallas and Philadelphia are growing almost as fast as Houston.
—In dollar terms, No. 5-ranked Houston added $13.3 billion in trade when compared to the first half of 2005, a greater increase than all Customs districts except No. 1 Los Angeles ($17 billion) and No. 2 New York ($15 billion).
—Statistics can always point to oddities, including the two fastest growing imports on a percentage basis human and animal blood, plasma and vaccines, up more than 79,000 percent, and pianos, harpsichords and other keyboard instruments up a robust 26,141 percent. Neither is among Houston’s top 500 imports, however.
—Houston’s top export is also crude oil, though almost seven times as much was coming in as going out.
—Ethers, the fourth biggest export, are down more than 42 percent through the first six months of 2006, or 709 million.
—Because Houston’s trade is growing faster than New Orleans is, Houston is likely to remain the No. 5-ranked Customs district, behind only Los Angeles, New York, Detroit and Laredo, Texas.
| Rank | Total Trade | June 2006 YTD | June 2005 YTD | Dollar Change | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Total | $76,347,814,621 | $63,020,901,532 | $13,326,913,089 | 21.15% | |
| 1 | Mexico | $9,004,781,074 | $7,111,106,244 | $1,893,674,830 | 26.63% |
| 2 | Venezuela | $7,776,109,221 | $5,610,816,933 | $2,165,292,288 | 38.59% |
| 3 | Nigeria | $3,829,185,293 | $2,992,196,335 | $836,988,958 | 27.97% |
| 4 | China | $3,525,945,832 | $2,351,320,979 | $1,174,624,853 | 49.96% |
| 5 | Germany | $2,967,404,601 | $2,626,213,871 | $341,190,730 | 12.99% |
| 6 | United Kingdom | $2,792,228,424 | $2,344,877,700 | $447,350,724 | 19.08% |
| 7 | Netherlands | $2,727,271,515 | $1,939,338,020 | $787,933,495 | 40.63% |
| 8 | Saudi Arabia | $2,690,348,921 | $2,684,261,579 | $6,087,342 | 0.23% |
| 9 | Algeria | $2,628,216,480 | $1,716,971,746 | $911,244,734 | 53.07% |
| 10 | Brazil | $2,603,560,775 | $2,219,819,559 | $383,741,216 | 17.29% |
| 11 | Russia | $1,793,487,944 | $1,409,621,416 | $383,866,528 | 27.23% |
| 12 | Belgium | $1,572,623,202 | $1,479,336,665 | $93,286,537 | 6.31% |
| 13 | Italy | $1,559,422,337 | $1,199,808,978 | $359,613,359 | 29.97% |
| 14 | Colombia | $1,556,602,495 | $1,153,821,792 | $402,780,703 | 34.91% |
| 15 | Iraq | $1,465,532,113 | $1,526,817,556 | $(61,285,443) | -4.01% |
| 16 | France | $1,445,576,676 | $1,189,129,359 | $256,447,317 | 21.57% |
| 17 | South Korea | $1,359,309,362 | $1,926,058,579 | $(566,749,217) | -29.43% |
| 18 | Japan | $1,223,757,172 | $1,085,597,163 | $138,160,009 | 12.73% |
| 19 | Angola | $1,193,328,907 | $810,372,751 | $382,956,156 | 47.26% |
| 20 | Chile | $1,147,464,462 | $1,017,950,144 | $129,514,318 | 12.72% |
| 21 | Trinidad and Tobago | $1,143,685,534 | $835,691,711 | $307,993,823 | 36.85% |
| 22 | Norway | $979,727,902 | $1,107,839,341 | $(128,111,439) | -11.56% |
| 23 | Kuwait | $953,272,502 | $1,038,945,092 | $(85,672,590) | -8.25% |
| 24 | India | $890,062,547 | $665,841,127 | $224,221,420 | 33.67% |
| 25 | Spain | $848,826,723 | $635,948,232 | $212,878,491 | 33.47% |
| Rank | Jan.-June 2006 | Jan.-June 2005 | Dollar Change | Percent Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total, All Imports | $49,773,923,657 | $39,836,923,550 | $9,937,000,107 | 24.94% | |
| 1 | Crude oil from Petroleum, bituminous minerals | $25,453,422,099 | $20,120,234,790 | $5,333,187,309 | 26.51% |
| 2 | Oil, not crude | $4,526,300,489 | $4,134,729,533 | $391,570,956 | 9.47% |
| 3 | Seamless iron tubes and pipes | $1,213,880,788 | $764,225,321 | $449,655,467 | 58.84% |
| 4 | Petroleum gases, other gaseous hydrocarbons | $917,625,163 | $630,152,202 | $287,472,961 | 45.62% |
| 5 | Cyclic hydrocarbons | $687,762,822 | $453,321,090 | $234,441,732 | 51.72% |
| 6 | Motor vehicles for transporting people | $545,694,760 | $595,647,380 | ($49,952,620) | -8.39% |
| 7 | Acyclic alcohols | $511,308,926 | $416,212,657 | $95,096,269 | 22.85% |
| 8 | Machinery parts | $488,016,710 | $257,699,661 | $230,317,049 | 89.37% |
| 9 | Iron and steel pipes and tubing | $465,089,915 | $397,331,072 | $67,758,843 | 17.05% |
| 10 | Self-propelled heavy construction machinery | $354,836,595 | $215,697,594 | $139,139,001 | 64.51% |
| Rank | Jan.-June 2006 | Jan.-June 2005 | Dollar Change | Percent Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total, All Exports | $26,573,890,964 | $23,183,977,982 | $3,389,912,982 | 14.62% | |
| 1 | Oil, not crude | $3,543,455,928 | $2,905,610,305 | $637,845,623 | 21.95% |
| 2 | Machinery parts | $2,317,077,214 | $2,239,887,151 | $77,190,063 | 3.45% |
| 3 | Cyclic hydrocarbons | $965,401,526 | $1,674,312,158 | $(708,910,632) | -42.34% |
| 4 | Ethers, ether-alcohols, alcohol peroxides etc. | $696,912,871 | $340,506,290 | $356,406,581 | 104.67% |
| 5 | Polymers of ethylene | $651,979,707 | $585,122,037 | $66,857,670 | 11.43% |
| 6 | Acetic acids, vinyl acetates, etc. | $571,481,833 | $476,016,041 | $95,465,792 | 20.06% |
| 7 | Acrylonitrile, related compounds | $538,392,849 | $522,850,755 | $15,542,094 | 2.97% |
| 8 | Regional jet parts | $477,099,898 | $475,138,671 | $1,961,227 | 0.41% |
| 9 | Electric equipment for line telephony | $461,921,132 | $189,775,572 | $272,145,560 | 143.40% |
| 10 | Acyclic alcohols | $402,598,356 | $484,113,783 | $(81,515,427) | -16.84% |
Houston likely to be No. 4 Customs district for 2006 (01/25/2007)
Houston exports see notable increase in third quarter (12/11/2006)
Semi-annual report: Houston growth at faster clip than most (09/08/2006)
Here comes China! Imports rise 85%, catapault it to No. 3 overall (07/07/2006)
Annual Report: No. 21 Angola- Mutual benefits (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 20 Japan- Houston woos and wins Japan (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: N0. 19 Norway- Symbiotic relationship (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 18 Kuwait- Embracing Mideast opportunities (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 2 Venezuela - Beyond the politicians (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 17 Italy- From leather to nuts (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 16 France- Outpaced by oil-rich nations (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 3 Nigeria - Oil lubricates market (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 15 Colombia- Coffee perks up trade (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 14 Belgium- Scoring with petrochemicals (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No.13 Russia- Imports, exports, up double digits (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 4 China - Trade skyrockets (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 12 South Korea- Fine-tuning a trade balance (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 11 Iraq- Rebuilding Iraq thanks to oil (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 5 United Kingdom - Setting a fast pace in trade (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 10 Algeria- Algeria ties its fortunes to oil (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 6 Germany - Cars add to spark-fired trade (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 9 The Netherlands- Getting a line to Europe (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 7 Saudi Arabia (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 8 Brazil- New U.S. gateway for Brazil (06/14/2006)
1Q: China, Algeria, Colombia lead way as trade increases 14% (06/02/2006)
Houston's trade surges
No surprise - it's all about the price of oil (01/01/2006)