US Sourced 12.2% More Laptop Imports in July Than Year Earlier

July laptop and tablet imports to the U.S. showed sustained resilience despite tough comparisons with 2020 when most homes were hunkered down in their fourth full month of COVID-19 lockdowns, according to Census data we accessed Monday through the International Trade Commission’s DataWeb portal. But smartphone imports trended in the opposite direction, with shipments declining by double digits from the two most important source countries, China and Vietnam.

U.S. importers sourced 12.74 million laptops and tablets from all countries in July, up marginally from June but a 12.2% increase from July 2020, said DataWeb. The average import had $430.04 in customs value, nearly 9% more than in June but down 0.7% from July 2020. China generated about 94% of the laptop and tablet unit imports to the U.S. in July, said DataWeb. It shipped 12.03 million devices here in the month, up 1% from June but a 17.5% increase from July 2020. The average Chinese import, $427.95, was 8.1% costlier than in June but 3.3% less expensive than a year earlier.

Vietnam sent about 469,000 laptops and tablets to the U.S. in July, 34.3% fewer than in July 2020, but Vietnamese devices were noticeably more expensive than June 2021 or July 2020. The average import, at $319.71, was 25.6% costlier than in June and up 64.4% from a year earlier. Vietnam generated just under 4% of laptop and tablet imports to the U.S. in July, compared with China’s 94%.

U.S. importers sourced 15.52 million smartphones from all countries in July, up 2% from June, but down 15% from a year earlier, said DataWeb. The average handset was $281.39, down marginally from June, but up 15.2% from July 2020. China, with 76% share, sent 11.79 million smartphones to the U.S. in July 13.7% fewer year over year, and 10.1% fewer than in June. The average Chinese import declined 3.2% from June to $266.44, but was up 1.3% from July 2020.

Vietnam generated 17.5% of smartphone unit imports to the U.S. in July, but its 2.71 million shipments were down 23.7% from a year earlier, said DataWeb. The average Vietnamese handset in July, $329.45, was 74.5% costlier than in the same month a year earlier, and $63 more expensive than its Chinese counterpart.

South Korea produced only 2.7% of smartphone unit imports to the U.S. in July, but its 431,000 handsets were up 127% from a year earlier, said DataWeb. South Korea was haven to the world’s most expensive smartphone imports to the U.S. Its average July handset import, $639.34, was nearly 2.5 times more expensive than its Chinese counterpart.