October TV Imports Soared 107% in 30- to 35-Inch Screen Sizes
Though TVs with the largest screen sizes maintained their dominance in the mix of October imports coming into the U.S., shipments skewed toward sets with screen sizes under 45 inches, according to Census Bureau data accessed Dec. 13 through the International Trade Commission’s DataWeb tool. October imports of laptops and tablets, meanwhile, continued their torrid growth trend, recording the category’s highest monthly volume in six years.
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U.S. importers sourced 3.77 million TVs in October with screen sizes exceeding 44.5 inches under subheading 8528.72.64.60 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, DataWeb information said. Though that volume was up 20.8% from October 2019, goods of subheading 8528.72.64.60 as a share of all TV imports to the U.S. in the month declined to 59.6%, from 66.2%, due to the increasing role of shipments with smaller screen sizes. TV imports under subheading 8528.72.64.60 grew slightly more commoditized in October, declining 11.9% in average customs value to $358.10, from $406.33 a year earlier.
October TV imports in screen sizes smaller than 44.5 inches grew 96% collectively from a year earlier to 2.56 million sets, outperforming TV import growth as a whole by more than 61 percentage points, DataWeb said. Sets of subheading 8528.72.64.30 with screens 30 to 35 inches recorded the highest import growth among the smaller-screen categories, rising 106.7% from a year earlier to 1.05 million units. They captured 16.6% share of total TV imports to the U.S. in October, up from a 10.8% share in October 2019. U.S. importers sourced 6.33 million TVs in all sizes from all countries in October, a 34.4% increase from a year earlier, DataWeb said. Dollar imports were up only 10.7% to $1.65 billion because the customs value of the average October TV import shrank 17.2% to $261.27.
The average Mexican TV import in October was worth $349.68 in customs value, down 8.7% from a year earlier, DataWeb said. Mexico shipped 3.71 million TVs here in the month. Though that was a 15.9% increase from a year earlier, Mexico’s share of total TV imports to the U.S. declined to 58.6% from 67.9%, due to the skew toward shipments of smaller screen sizes from China and Vietnam. Chinese TV imports to the U.S. jumped 41.9% in October to 1.83 million sets, enough for a 28.9% share of total TV imports, compared with 27.4% in October 2019, DataWeb said. The average Chinese set was worth $137.72, down 19.7% from the October 2019 average.
U.S. importers sourced 15.7 million laptops and tablets from all countries under the HTS 8471.30.01 subheading in October, a 24.7% increase from 2019, DataWeb said. It was the highest monthly volume in the category since 16.88 million were shipped here in October 2014. Dollar imports of $5.7 billion were 31.3% higher than a year earlier. Average customs value climbed 5.4%, to $363.36.