MQ36C -- FLUORESCENT LAMP BALLASTS
1992 SUMMARY
Contact person:  Robert Wright (301) 763-5573


For survey methodology and definitions of terms, see the 1991 publication, MQ36D(91)-5, issued June 1992.
Printed data tables will be available at the end of each data year through an annual compendium publication,
which will include information on all Current Industrial Reports.


   SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

   The value of manufacturers' shipments of fluorescent lamp ballasts amounted to $812 million in 1992, an increase of 13
percent over shipments of $718 million in 1991.  The quantity of fluorscent lamp ballasts shipped increased to 97 million units in
1992 from 89 million units in 1991.  Corrected power-factor types accounted for 57 percent of the quantity and 58 percent of the
value of shipments of all fluorescent lamp ballasts during the year 1992.  For 1992, the quantity of shipments for corrected
power-factor lamp ballasts decreased less than 1 percent, while that for uncorrected power-factor ballasts increased  14
percent, compared with 1991; the dollar value of shipments of the former type showed a 2 percent decrease, while the dollar
value of the latter type showed a 12 percent increase.    The value of shipments of electronic ballasts was $275 million in 1992,
compared with $180 million in 1991.



Table 1.  QUANTITY AND VALUE OF SHIPMENTS OF UNCORRECTED AND CORRECTED POWER-FACTOR TYPE
          FLUORESCENT BALLASTS: 1981 TO 1992
(Quantity in 1,000 ballasts; value in $1,000)

                                       Uncorrected power    Corrected power
                          Total          -factor type        -factor type        Electronic type

        Year        Quantity    Value  Quantity    Value   Quantity     Value  Quantity     Value

1992................  97,034  812,287    28,363    68,771    55,379   468,940    13,292   274,576
1991................  88,729  718,317    24,919    61,413    55,467   476,867     8,343   180,037
1990................  81,364  615,569    22,556    54,403    55,807   491,878     3,001    69,288
1989................  77,702  521,301    18,011    41,667    58,265   439,818     1,426    39,816
1988................  75,676  476,375    17,813    40,916    56,799   409,954     1,064    25,505
1987................  74,948  436,045    19,542    42,814    54,754   378,113       652    15,118
1986................  69,840  407,906    17,370    38,601    52,039   357,470       431    11,835
1985................  70,054  398,895    18,456    39,899    51,598   358,996       (1)       (1)
1984................  67,519  392,072    18,085    39,265    49,434   352,807       (1)       (1)
1983................  60,825  337,361    18,272    36,170    42,553   301,191       (1)       (1)
1982................  57,004  310,598    17,652    35,257    39,352   275,341       (1)       (1)
1981................  63,907  326,978    21,350    43,038    42,557   283,940       (1)       (1)

   1/ Data for electronic type were not collected separately prior to 1986.


Table 2.  QUANTITY AND VALUE OF SHIPMENTS, BY TYPE OF BALLAST: 1992 AND 1991
     (Quantity in 1,000 ballasts; value in 1,000)


                                               Total          First quarter     Second quarter    Third quarter     Fourth quarter
Product
   code          Product description        Quantity Value    Quantity Value    Quantity Value    Quantity Value    Quantity Value

                        1992
36124--         Total.......................  97,034  812,287   25,068  191,471   23,914  189,259   23,587  203,834   24,465  227,723

         Uncorrected power-factor type......  28,363   68,771    7,778   18,595    7,103   16,757    6,598   16,030    6,884   17,389
           Switch start.....................  16,661   25,932    4,375    6,370    4,413    7,152    3,946    6,157    3,927    6,253
36124 62      20 watt and less..............  14,954   20,897    3,800    5,114    3,969    5,763    3,567    4,948    3,618    5,072
36124 63      21 to 40 watt.................   1,707    5,035      575    1,256      444    1,389      379    1,209      309    1,181
36124 65      Above 40 watt.................       -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -
36124 61   Rapid start AND..................
36124 66   Other than rapid and switch start  11,702   42,839    3,403   12,225    2,690    9,605    2,652    9,873    2,957   11,136
         Corrected power-factor type........  55,379  468,940   14,932  124,842   13,870  111,931   13,328  112,298   13,249  119,869
           Slimline and instant start.......   9,549  118,581    2,770   33,701    2,224   27,069    2,233   27,308    2,322   30,503
36124 67     Two-lamp 96T12 and 72T12.......   8,571  107,893    2,478   30,673    2,005   24,702    1,985   24,582    2,103   27,936
36124 68     Other..........................     978   10,688      292    3,028      219    2,367      248    2,726      219    2,567
           Rapid start......................  44,820  343,846   11,921   89,639   11,369   83,077   10,837   83,320   10,693   87,810
36124 71     Two-lamp, 40 watt..............  36,122  236,558    9,671   61,819    8,916   57,284    8,826   57,875    8,709   59,580
             All other rapid start..........   8,698  107,288    2,250   27,820    2,453   25,793    2,011   25,445    1,984   28,230
36124 72       800 to 1,000 mA..............   2,939   55,670      705   14,464      934   12,921      602   12,671      698   15,614
36124 73       1,500 mA.....................     285   10,469       76    2,745       71    2,516       68    2,454       70    2,754
36124 74       Other........................   5,474   41,149    1,469   10,611    1,448   10,356    1,341   10,320    1,216    9,862
           Switch start.....................     (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
36124 76     Two-lamp, 40 watt.AND..........
36124 81     Other, except 2-lamp 40 watt...     (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
36124 79   All other corrected power-factor      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
         Electronic type....................  13,292  274,576    2,358   48,034    2,941   60,571    3,661   75,506    4,332   90,465
36124 83   Preheat or rapid start lamp up th
             40 watt........................  12,001  242,448    2,114   42,013    2,608   52,054    3,314   66,702    3,965   81,679
36124 85   Single-pin slimine, instant start
36124 87   Rapid start lamp operating at       1,291   32,128      244    6,021      333    8,517      347    8,804      367    8,786
             800 mA and above...............

                        1991
36124--         Total.......................  88,729  718,317   23,011  184,811   22,998  189,905   21,708  178,363   21,012  165,238

         Uncorrected power-factor type......  24,919   61,413    6,716   16,979    6,634   15,884    5,543   13,909    6,026   14,641
           Switch start.....................  13,868   21,612    3,679    5,775    3,793    5,742    3,010    4,931    3,386    5,164
36124 62      20 watt and less..............  12,154   17,199    3,200    4,518    3,241    4,527    2,710    4,015    3,003    4,139
36124 63      21 to 40 watt.................   1,714    4,413      479    1,257      552    1,215      300      916      383    1,025
36124 65      Above 40 watt.................       -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -
36124 61   Rapid start AND..................
36124 66   Other than rapid and switch start  11,051   39,801    3,037   11,204    2,841   10,142    2,533    8,978    2,640    9,477
         Corrected power-factor type........  55,467  476,867   14,289  124,447   13,857  119,440   14,184  120,759   13,137  112,221
           Slimline and instant start.......   9,591  121,981    2,502   32,194    2,339   30,002    2,386   30,380    2,364   29,405
36124 67     Two-lamp 96T12 and 72T12.......   8,658  111,610    2,272   29,651    2,126   27,582    2,144   27,675    2,116   26,702
36124 68     Other..........................     933   10,371      230    2,543      213    2,420      242    2,705      248    2,703
           Rapid start......................  45,367  351,591   11,691   91,601   11,415   88,750   11,645   89,421   10,616   81,819
36124 71     Two-lamp, 40 watt..............  37,016  249,060    9,529   64,738    9,332   63,559    9,590   64,284    8,565   56,479
             All other rapid start..........   8,351  102,531    2,162   26,863    2,083   25,191    2,055   25,137    2,051   25,340
36124 72       800 to 1,000 mA..............   2,552   51,661      655   13,511      623   12,171      605   12,652      669   13,327
36124 73       1,500 mA.....................     301   11,006       77    2,850       77    2,815       72    2,652       75    2,689
36124 74       Other........................   5,498   39,864    1,430   10,502    1,383   10,205    1,378    9,833    1,307    9,324
           Switch start.....................     (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
36124 76     Two-lamp, 40 watt.AND..........
36124 81     Other, except 2-lamp 40 watt...     (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
36124 79   All other corrected power-factor      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
         Electronic type....................   8,343  180,037    2,006   43,385    2,507   54,581    1,981   43,695    1,849   38,376
36124 83   Preheat or rapid start lamp up
             through 40 watt AND............                                                                 1,775   38,099    1,654
33,421
36124 85   Single-pin slimine, instant start   8,343  180,037    2,006   43,385    2,507   54,581      149    3,784      144    3,435
36124 87   Rapid start lamp operating at                                                                57    1,812       51    1,520
             800 mA and above...............

   - Represents zero.  (D) Data withheld to avoid disclosing figures for individual companies.


Table 3.  VALUE OF SHIPMENTS. BY YEAR AND SURVEY:  1986 TO 1992
(Value in millions of dollars)
                                                  Annual Survey of
                                                   Manufacturers

                                                             Standard
                                                             error of
                                                             estimate
                Year                    MQ36C     Value   (percent)1/

 1992...............................    812.3      (NA)          (NA)
 1991...............................    718.3     706.5             1
 1990...............................    615.5     606.4             1
 1989...............................    521.3     496.1             1
 1988...............................    476.4     444.9             1
 1987...............................    437.0     414.5          (NA)
 1986...............................    396.1     408.6             2

   (NA) Not available.

   1/ The annual survey of manufactures percentage standard error shown is the approximate
relative standard error of the estimate of level.  A more detailed description of the standard error
of estimate is given in the introduction of the 1990 Annual Survey of  Manufactures, Value of
Product Shipments, M90(AS)-2, under "Qualifications of the Data."




Table 4. SHIPMENTS, EXPORTS, IMPORTS, AND APPARENT CONSUMPTION OF FLUORESCENT LAMP BALLASTS:  1992 AND 1991
(Thousands of dollars)
                                                        Manufacturers'      Exports of domestic          Imports for
                                                          shipments            merchandise1/            consumption2/

                                                                    Value
Product                                                            f.o.b.                   Value
 code1/          Product description                  Quantity      plant    Quantity     at port    Quantity       Value

36124 -  Fluorescent lamp ballasts..........1992         97,034   812,287    3/10,382    3/64,789    3/52,977   3/277,672
                                            1991         88,729   718,317    3/ 6,142    3/38,778    3/35,808   3/152,194

   1/ Source: Bureau of the Census report EM 545,U.S. Exports.  The Schedule B export number is 8504.10.0000.
   2/ Source: Bureau of the Census report IM 145,Imports for Consumption.  The HTSUSA import number is 8504.10.0000.
This value represent the C.I.F. and calculated duty.
   3/ Exports/imports are overstated due to the inclusion of specialty transformers classified in product class 36125.imline and instant start.......   9