Import volume is a indication of consumer DEMAND. Consumers consume, importers supply. It means the consumer has money to spend. If the economy was bad, consumers wouldn't have surplus money to spend, imports would drop, then exports would exceed imports. EXACTLY LIKE GERMANY.
I can't buy a ford in China, nor a house, or the lumber to build it. Nor most of the domestic materials for the main goods I need to live a comfortable life.
I didn't import the concrete for my pool from China, nor the cement truck that delivered it, not the water, the construction workers, the steel re-rod, forms etc.Even the jacuzzi pumps, the water heaters, etc. are all American made, big ticket items you can't buy at wal-mart.
Take a good look around your house and see what really is imported besides some electronics and cheap toasters, and fake art.
Our largest import in terms of dollars is OIL.
You know, that stuff which we distill and then put in our cars and SUV's so we can take the kids for a drive to the ice cream stand.
Seriously, the bulk of our trade defecit is due to our large need for energy. Cut our oil imports and our trade defecit drops, if I'm not mistaken, to the point where it about evens out with the goods and services we export around the world.
All this talk about defecits causing our demise is simply chicken-little talk.
Most of the money exported goes to OPEC countries which in turn plows it back into US and global companies through the stock markets.