The availability of low-priced, lower quality imported pianos from relatively new sources such as China has contributed to the expansion in the U.S. piano market. In 1998, U.S. imports of vertical pianos from China more than doubled. China's share of the U.S. import market for verticals rose from less than 10 percent in 1996 to nearly 25 percent in 1998. U.S. producers are major importers, buying foreign-produced pianos to complement their product lines. Imports, by quantity, supplied 46 percent of the market for vertical pianos during January-September 1998, up from 35 percent during the comparable period in 1997.
Imports account for most of the market for grand pianos.
Japan, China, Korea, and Indonesia accounted for more than 90 percent of both vertical and grand piano imports. Reflecting a growing U.S. market, vertical piano production and employment increased by 8 percent and 10 percent, respectively, during January-September 1998 compared with the same period in 1997.