International Trade in Environmental Protection Equipment: An Assessment of Existing Data

摘要

The study estimates total U.S. imports, exports, and trade balances for environmental protection (EP) equipment between 1980-1991. The levels of trade in EP equipment are disaggregated by environmental medium (i.e., air, water, and other). Bilateral trade flows between the United States and selected U.S. trading partners also are presented for 1980-1991. The study describes trade in pollution abatement equipment from the perspective of selected U.S. trading partners. Data on their imports, exports, and trade balances for 1988-1991 are reported. The data compiled in the report show that the United States is a major exporter of EP equipment in general and air pollution control equipment in particular. The United States enjoyed a surplus of trade in environmental protection equipment of $1.1 billion in 1991, and the surplus has been increasing steadily since 1989. Between 1989 and 1991, U.S. exports increased approximately 70 percent, while imports increased approximately 45 percent.