U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Highlights

June 10, 2009

Goods and Services Deficit Increases in April 2009

The Nation's international deficit in goods and services increased to $29.2 billion in April from $28.5 billion (revised) in March, as exports decreased more than imports.

Goods and Services

• Exports decreased to $121.1 billion in April from $123.9 billion in March. Goods were $80.0 billion in April, down from $82.6 billion in March, and services were $41.1 billion in April, down from $41.4 billion in March.
  
  
• Imports decreased to $150.3 billion in April from $152.5 billion in March. Goods were $120.1 billion in April, down from $121.8 billion in March, and services were $30.2 billion in April, down from $30.7 billion in March.
  
  
• For goods, the deficit was $40.1 billion in April, up from $39.2 billion in March. For services, the surplus was $10.9 billion in April, up from $10.7 billion in March.
  
  

Goods by Category

• The March to April decrease in exports of goods reflected decreases in industrial supplies and materials ($1.3 billion); capital goods ($1.1 billion); consumer goods ($0.5 billion); other goods ($0.2 billion); and automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.2 billion). An increase occurred in foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.3 billion).
  
  
• The March to April decrease in imports of goods reflected decreases in capital goods ($0.9 billion); industrial supplies and materials ($0.7 billion); other goods ($0.3 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.1 billion); and foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.1 billion). An increase occurred in consumer goods ($0.4 billion).

Services by Category

• The March to April change in exports of services reflected decreases in travel ($0.1 billion); other private services ($0.1 billion), which includes items such as business, professional, and technical services, insurance services, and financial services; and passenger fares ($0.1 billion). An increase in other transportation ($0.1 billion), which includes freight and port services, was partly offsetting. Changes in other categories of services exports were small.
  
  
• The March to April change in imports of services reflected decreases in other transportation ($0.3 billion), travel ($0.1 billion), and passenger fares ($0.1 billion). An increase in other private services ($0.1 billion) was partly offsetting. Changes in other categories of services imports were small.

Goods by Geographic Area (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

• The goods deficit with Canada increased from $0.8 billion in March to $1.2 billion in April. Exports decreased $0.7 billion (primarily pharmaceutical preparations) to $16.1 billion, while imports decreased $0.3 billion (primarily iron and steel mill products) to $17.3 billion.
  
  
• The goods deficit with China increased from $15.6 billion in March to $16.8 billion in April. Exports decreased $0.4 billion (primarily steelmaking materials) to $5.2 billion, while imports increased $0.7 billion (primarily apparel and furniture) to $21.9 billion.
  
  
• The goods deficit with the European Union increased from $4.4 billion in March to $5.3 billion in April. Exports decreased $2.0 billion (primarily civilian aircraft, engines, equipment, and parts) to $17.8 billion, while imports decreased $1.0 billion (primarily passenger cars, industrial machines, and petroleum products) to $23.2 billion.

This and more information is provided in the Bureau of the Census and Bureau of Economic Analysis press release:

U.S.International Trade in Goods and Services: April 2009 .

This and more information is provided in the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis press release, U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: February 2009. For further information on goods, contact Maria Iseman, Foreign Trade Division, U.S. Census Bureau, on (301) 763-2311; on services, contact Christopher Bach, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, on (202) 606-9545.

NOTE: Total goods data are reported on a Balance of Payments basis; commodity and country detail data for goods are on a Census basis. For information on data sources and definitions, see the information section on page A-1 of the FT-900 release, or at www.census.gov/ft900 or http://www.bea.gov/bea/di/home/trade.htm.

The next release is July 10, 2009

---

Note: Total goods data are reported on a Balance of Payments basis; commodity and country detail data for goods are on a Census basis. For information on data sources and definitions, see the Information Section (PDF, 53k) (TXT, 23k)

---

Related sites:

• U.S. Department of Commerce
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division
  • Bureau of Economic Analysis