Flat glass imports to U.S. up this year while exports falling

The U.S. Department of Commerce is reporting that imports of flat glass to the U.S. have increased through the first half of 2017 while exports have decreased during the same time period.

Imports totaled $942 million between January and June, which represents a nearly 7 percent increase from the same period in 2016. Flat glass exports totaled $737 million during those six months; that represents an 8.4 percent drop compared to the same period last year.

As for more recent data, flat glass imports were flat from May to June at $156 million. However, flat glass exports fell 16 percent in June from the previous month to $115 million.

The flat glass import rate is indicative of an overall trend. The Department of Commerce report, released Aug. 4, shows that total imports to the U.S. increased 6.9 percent to $91.7 billion in the first six months of the year. But, unlike the flat glass rate, exports increased 6 percent to $64.9 billion during the same time period.