Since 2004 Audyssey technologies have appeared in numerous consumer, professional, and automotive products.

Other superstore concepts are planned in areas like automotive products and apparel.

"It's just the rules of requiring paint to be lasting on an automotive product."

More than 50 percent of its revenues come from automotive products, especially the fast-growing air bag business.

The company, a maker of industrial and automotive products that is based in Cincinnati, denied their contention.

Consumer goods other than automotive products also rose $1.1 billion.

Bosch, likewise, is a closely held German company that makes a variety of automotive products.

Of the trade deficit in automotive products, about 40 percent is with Japan.

Automakers are likely to follow, since it takes years to test automotive products for durability and to make costly changes in production plants.

The trade deficit in automotive products with Europe has risen to $22.8 billion last year from $9.8 billion five years ago, he said.