May Smartphone Imports Skewed to Low End on Influx of Cheaper Chinese Phones
COVID-19's stay-at-home mandates didn’t quite have the same invigorating effect on May smartphone imports to the U.S. as on connectivity tools like laptops and tablets, according to Census Bureau data accessed July 11 through the International Trade Commission's DataWeb tool. Lockdowns sent May laptop and tablet imports soaring by double digits compared with April and May 2019 (see 2007100031).
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May smartphone imports, conversely, increased only modestly from April while plunging significantly from their 2019 levels. May imports also took a sharp turn toward the low end due to a large influx of cheaper phones from China.
U.S. importers sourced 12.5 million smartphones from all countries in May. That was up 8.9% from April but down 23.2% from May 2019. May smartphone imports were worth $3.01 billion in customs value, down 1.9% from April and representing a 25.1% decline from the same year-earlier month. The average May smartphone import was worth $240.56, 6.4% lower than in April and representing a 2.6% drop from May 2019.
China was the source of 78.9% of May smartphone imports to the U.S., up from 76% in April and 76.9% in May a year earlier. May shipments from China increased by 8.9% from April to 9.86 million handsets, down 21.2% from the 12.51 million units shipped here in May 2019. The average Chinese smartphone import was worth $256.60. Though that was 2.9% higher than a year earlier, it meant a 10% decline from April.
Vietnam, the world’s largest country of origin for smartphones worth less than $200, ceded share to China in May. Vietnam was the source 14.5% of May smartphone imports to the U.S., compared with a 16.9% share in April and 16.2% in May 2019.
The average Vietnamese smartphone import in May was worth $166.85, up 8.5% from April but significantly down by 24.7% from May a year earlier, DataWeb said. Smartphone imports from Vietnam were 1.81 million handsets in May, down 10.2% from April, and representing a 31.4% decline from May 2019.