Each month, the US Business and Industry Council (USBIC) tabulates the trade flows of 50 key U.S. manufacturing sectors to help assess the nation's global competitiveness.
These industries represent sectors vital to any broad-based manufacturing economy, ranging from steel and chemicals to industrial machinery to semi-conductors.
Each industry is tracked separately according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
The United States Business and Industry Council (USBIC) Manufacturing Trade Index tallies the monthly trade balance for each industry, presents a monthly total for all 50 sectors combined, and spotlights the “best” and “worst” performers.