Travel Goods Association

2009 U.S. Travel Goods Imports Down by Double Digits Across the Board

U.S. imports of travel goods — luggage, business and computer cases, travel and sports bags, handbags, flatgoods and backpacks — suffered large double digit declines across the board in 2009 in response to the worst U.S. economic recession in decades and the resulting decline in travel and other activities involving travel goods, according to new figures on U.S. imports released February 10 by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The numbers show that U.S. travel goods companies rushed to tighten their inventories to keep pace with shrinking demand as they entered last year’s holiday shopping season.

U.S. imports of all types of luggage fell to pre-September 11 levels in 2009, sliding 27.0 percent in 2009 to 57.5 million pieces, while the value of those imports slipped 25.4 percent to $442.1 million. U.S. imports from China tumbled 25.8 percent during the period, but still accounted for 91.8 percent of all U.S. imports during 2009. U.S. imports from only a few top 10 suppliers grew during 2009, including #3 Mexico (+2.4 percent), #4 Pakistan (+343.6 percent) and #10 Korea (+74.6 percent). U.S. imports of all types of business cases and computer bags handed back most of the gains achieved in the first half of 2008 (when sales of those bags surged), declining 15.0 percent in 2009 to 47.5 million pieces and the value of those imports sank 26.8 percent to $208.4 million. U.S. imports from China declined 15.0 percent during the first nine months of 2009, but still accounted for 92.5 percent of all U.S. imports during the period. U.S. imports from only a few top 10 suppliers — #2 Mexico (+17.5 percent), #6 El Salvador (+136.1 percent) and #10 Denmark (+12.2 percent) — rose during the period. U.S. imports of all types of travel and sports bags (including duffle bags, gym bags, golf bags, insulated food carriers, musical instrument bags, etc.) fell 14.1 percent in 2009 to 1.04 billion pieces, while the value slid 17.3 percent to $2.38 billion. U.S. imports from China fell 14.0 percent, with those imports accounting for 89.8 percent of all U.S. imports for the period. U.S. imports rose from only a few top 10 suppliers during the period, including #6 Thailand (+13.3 percent), #8 Mexico (+2.5 percent), #9 Indonesia (+59.9 percent) and #10 Canada (+59.9 percent). U.S. imports of all types of handbags fell to levels not seen since September 11, dropping 25.7 percent to 252.6 million pieces in 2009 while the value declined 20.6 percent to $2.14 billion. U.S. imports from China tumbled 23.8 percent, but still accounted for 93.9 percent of all U.S. imports during the period. Meanwhile, U.S. imports from only top 10 suppliers #6 Vietnam (+57.5 percent), #8 Mexico (+20.5 percent) and #10 the Philippines (+31.6 percent) grew during the period. U.S. imports of flatgoods (wallets, day planners, CD cases, glass cases, etc.) slid to their lowest levels in a decade, falling 18.7 percent in 2009 to 349.6 million pieces, while the value declined 16.3 percent to $660.3 million. U.S. imports from China fell 17.8 percent, but still accounted for 87.4 percent of all U.S. imports during the period. Out of the other top ten suppliers, only U.S. imports from #5 the Philippines (+4.1 percent), #6 Korea (+96.1 percent) and #9 Mexico (+54.9 percent) grew during the period. U.S. imports of all types of backpacks (except leather) continued their five year slide, dropping 10.8 percent to 88.4 million pieces in 2009, while the value of those imports fell 27.0 percent to $57.5 million. U.S. imports from China declined 13.0 percent, but still accounted for 92.0 percent of all U.S. imports during the period. U.S. imports from many other top 10 suppliers actually rose during the period, including #2 Vietnam (+46.8 percent), #3 the Philippines (+10.5 percent), #5 Indonesia (+43.2 percent), #6 El Salvador (+21.3 percent) and #8 Taiwan (+150.0 percent).