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A trifecta: Passing Japan, China is top destination for LA exports, in addition to imports and total trade

July 28th, 2006

Los Angeles’ trade with the world is up 12.2 percent through the first five months of the year, to $127 billion, according to WorldCity analysis of the most recent U.S. Census Department statistics.

That is slightly behind the U.S. average of 13.4 percent for the period, though No. 1-ranked L.A. added to its cushion over No. 2-ranked New York and No. 3 Detroit, the only three Customs districts to surpass $100 billion in trade through the first five months of 2006.

Jan.-May 2006	Total Trade	Jan.-May 2006	Jan.-May 2005	Dollar Change	Percent Change
	World Total	$126,978,997,328	$113,079,698,782	$13,899,298,546	12.29%
1	China	$42,947,064,472	$36,972,332,244	$5,974,732,228	16.16%
2	Japan	$20,530,006,662	$18,601,591,065	$1,928,415,597	10.37%
3	South Korea	$8,199,821,324	$7,366,879,940	$832,941,384	11.31%
4	Taiwan	$6,503,818,904	$5,946,257,329	$557,561,575	9.38%
5	Malaysia	$3,833,716,345	$3,571,053,355	$262,662,990	7.36%
6	Germany	$3,798,617,540	$3,824,215,211	$(25,597,671)	-0.67%
7	Thailand	$3,507,120,976	$3,087,138,718	$419,982,258	13.60%
8	Singapore	$3,331,445,143	$2,892,482,966	$438,962,177	15.18%
9	Australia	$3,180,790,297	$2,951,519,797	$229,270,500	7.77%
10	Hong Kong	$2,663,036,643	$2,467,749,753	$195,286,890	7.91%
11	United Kingdom	$2,159,585,945	$2,487,518,521	$(327,932,576)	-13.18%
12	Indonesia	$1,960,024,685	$2,064,505,030	$(104,480,345)	-5.06%
13	Philippines	$1,887,833,614	$1,492,586,260	$395,247,354	26.48%
14	India	$1,510,007,608	$1,356,374,154	$153,633,454	11.33%
15	Ecuador	$1,352,215,629	$913,664,163	$438,551,466	48.00%
16	Vietnam	$1,247,313,644	$992,186,916	$255,126,728	25.71%
17	Saudi Arabia	$1,188,773,789	$1,090,822,575	$97,951,214	8.98%
18	Mexico	$1,158,622,887	$933,962,645	$224,660,242	24.05%
19	Netherlands	$1,116,458,131	$934,091,783	$182,366,348	19.52%
20	Italy	$1,083,803,929	$1,142,223,044	$(58,419,115)	-5.11%
21	France	$1,030,685,339	$963,773,227	$66,912,112	6.94%
22	Brazil	$947,153,282	$658,540,861	$288,612,421	43.83%
23	Iraq	$900,544,181	$367,427,853	$533,116,328	145.09%
24	Belgium	$881,382,757	$854,179,596	$27,203,161	3.18%
25	New Zealand	$693,268,633	$754,480,673	$(61,212,040)	-8.11%

China accounts for slightly more a third of all Los Angeles trade, and more than twice the total for No. 2 Japan. Last year at this time, China accounted for slightly less than one-third of the total and slightly less than twice Japan’s total.

In one switch, Los Angeles now exports more to China than any other nation, including Japan, which had been No. 1 at this time last year. Nevertheless, Los Angeles’ deficit with China is enormous. Through five months, China accounted for $43 billion in total trade, with $36.5 billion of that in imports.

In all, 21 nations surpassed $1 billion in trade with the Los Angeles Customs district. Through the first five months of 2005, that total was 16. The five nations to have surged past $1 billion ahead of last year’s pace are Ecuador, Vietnam, Mexico, the Netherlands and France.

The fastest-growing Top 25 trade partner with Los Angeles is Iraq, up more than 145 percent, to $900.5 million, and seven positions, to No. 23. Among the Top 25, Italy fell the most positions seven and the United Kingdom saw the largest percentage drop, 13.1 percent, when compared to 2005.

On the import side, Los Angeles has 15 commodities that surpassed $1 billion through the first five months of the year, according to WorldCity analysis, an increase of four. The four additions are oil, seats, rubber tires and motorcycles. With the exception of seats, they all point to the impact of the increasing cost of crude oil. Computers and cars remain the overwhelming top two imports, through computers slipped past cars to take the top spot, when compared to the first five months of 2005.

Rank	Imports	Jan.-May 2006	Jan.-May 2005	Dollar Change	Percent Change
	Total, All Commodities	$91,032,738,481	$82,456,675,842	$8,576,062,639	10.40%
1	Computers	$9,059,822,991	$8,202,705,187	$857,117,804	10.45%
2	Motor vehicles for transporting people	$8,696,285,356	$8,318,079,911	$378,205,445	4.55%
3	Crude oil from Petroleum, bituminous minerals	$4,383,820,341	$2,742,680,506	$1,641,139,835	59.84%
4	Computer parts	$3,153,328,232	$2,764,655,288	$388,672,944	14.06%
5	Color TVs, computer monitors	$2,828,605,777	$2,105,452,664	$723,153,113	34.35%
6	Transmission apparatus for cellular phones	$1,804,981,380	$2,007,210,924	$(202,229,544)	-10.08%
7	Furniture, parts	$1,697,067,947	$1,541,715,768	$155,352,179	10.08%
8	Footware, sole of rubber, plastic or leather; upper leather	$1,677,321,178	$1,582,801,918	$94,519,260	5.97%
9	Women's or girls' suits, not knit	$1,563,484,404	$1,452,920,685	$110,563,719	7.61%
10	Motor vehicle parts	$1,533,413,733	$1,339,262,508	$194,151,225	14.50%
11	Oil, not crude	$1,520,567,181	$998,949,196	$521,617,985	52.22%
12	Seats, excluding barber, dental	$1,177,697,451	$962,236,530	$215,460,921	22.39%
13	Rubber tires	$1,167,784,975	$954,464,739	$213,320,236	22.35%
14	Electronic integrated circuits	$1,139,452,019	$1,017,316,414	$122,135,605	12.01%
15	Motorcycles, including mopeds	$1,012,674,879	$956,455,157	$56,219,722	5.88%
16	Footware, sole and upper rubber or plastic	$995,197,415	$945,158,036	$50,039,379	5.29%
17	Toys, scale models, puzzles	$980,479,972	$1,045,469,224	$(64,989,252)	-6.22%
18	Reception apparatus for cellular phones	$918,458,673	$985,793,382	$(67,334,709)	-6.83%
19	Parts for arcade, parlor games	$870,740,565	$939,720,346	$(68,979,781)	-7.34%
20	Travel goods, including handbags, wallets, jewelry cases	$854,112,792	$807,771,121	$46,341,671	5.74%
21	Electric equipment for line telephony	$838,434,400	$752,509,442	$85,924,958	11.42%
22	Sweaters, pullovers, vest, knit or crocheted	$831,061,195	$889,878,458	$(58,817,263)	-6.61%
23	Diamonds, not mounted	$797,290,310	$734,512,494	$62,777,816	8.55%
24	Exports of repaired imports Imports of returned exports	$770,411,924	$736,356,858	$34,055,066	4.62%
25	Equipment, parts for exercising	$723,821,842	$716,386,435	$7,435,407	1.04%

On the export side of the ledger, Los Angeles only has four commodities that have surpassed $1 billion through May, though that is double the number from last year at May. Both cotton and computer exports jumped into the Billion Dollar Club, joining No. 1 computer chips and No. 2 aircraft parts.

Rank	Exports	Jan.-May 2006	Jan.-May 2005	Dollar Change	Percent Change
	Total, All Commodities	$35,946,258,847	$30,623,022,940	$5,323,235,907	17.38%
1	Electronic integrated circuits	$3,364,485,285	$2,656,678,265	$707,807,020	26.64%
2	Aircraft parts	$1,957,952,451	$1,704,361,593	$253,590,858	14.88%
3	Cotton, not carded or combed	$1,314,150,273	$773,776,839	$540,373,434	69.84%
4	Computers	$1,029,914,088	$852,531,929	$177,382,159	20.81%
5	Regional jet parts	$725,957,010	$619,695,909	$106,261,101	17.15%
6	Computer parts	$708,069,237	$679,832,458	$28,236,779	4.15%
7	Motor vehicle parts	$571,403,405	$464,543,755	$106,859,650	23.00%
8	Miscellaneous machines, parts	$564,413,505	$327,538,969	$236,874,536	72.32%
9	Medical instruments for surgeons, dentists, vets	$549,903,580	$466,806,216	$83,097,364	17.80%
10	Motor vehicles for transporting people	$526,021,613	$431,533,884	$94,487,729	21.90%
11	Scrap iron, steel	$423,913,019	$355,951,532	$67,961,487	19.09%
12	Human blood, animal blood, plasma, vaccines	$408,788,985	$380,355,360	$28,433,625	7.48%
13	Machinery parts	$399,024,469	$535,097,360	$(136,072,891)	-25.43%
14	Parts for cellular communications	$389,329,161	$301,481,230	$87,847,931	29.14%
15	Aluminum waste and scrap	$350,736,321	$153,876,145	$196,860,176	127.93%
16	Photo-sensitive semi-conductors, parts	$347,561,505	$349,776,636	$(2,215,131)	-0.63%
17	Raw hides, skins of cows, horses	$343,350,424	$233,573,560	$109,776,864	47.00%
18	Prepared foods, beverages	$308,983,339	$302,086,788	$6,896,551	2.28%
19	Polyethers, expoxides and polyesters, primary forms	$304,393,383	$257,904,717	$46,488,666	18.03%
20	Centrifuges, filters, machines and parts	$301,542,643	$223,694,068	$77,848,575	34.80%
21	Exports of repaired imports	$298,368,124	$397,502,789	$(99,134,665)	-24.94%
22	Electric equipment for line telephony	$287,097,745	$279,449,863	$7,647,882	2.74%
23	Equipment, parts for exercising	$286,534,772	$236,411,705	$50,123,067	21.20%
24	Polymers of ethylene	$286,281,272	$309,306,052	$(23,024,780)	-7.44%
25	Miscellaneous electrical machinery	$282,087,047	$245,849,611	$36,237,436	14.74%

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A trifecta: Passing Japan, China is top destination for LA exports, in addition to imports and total trade

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