U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Highlights

November 13, 2009

Goods and Services Deficit Increases in September 2009

The Nation's international trade deficit increased to $36.5 billion in September from $30.8 billion (revised) in August, as imports increased more than exports.

Goods and Services

• Exports increased to $132.0 billion in September from $128.3 billion in August. Goods were $90.3 billion in September, up from $86.8 billion in August, and services were $41.6 billion in September, up from $41.5 billion in August.
  
  
• Imports increased to $168.4 billion in September from $159.1 billion in August. Goods were $138.0 billion in September, up from $128.8 billion in August, and services were $30.5 billion in September, up from $30.3 billion in August.
  
  
• For goods, the deficit was $47.6 billion in September, up from $42.0 billion in August. For services, the surplus was $11.1 billion in September, virtually unchanged from August.
  
  

Goods by Category (Census basis)

• The August to September increase in exports of goods reflected increases in capital goods ($1.7 billion); industrial supplies and materials ($1.4 billion); consumer goods ($0.5 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.2 billion); and other goods ($0.2 billion). A decrease occurred in foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.4 billion).
  
  
• The August to September increase in imports of goods reflected increases in industrial supplies and materials ($5.5 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($1.7 billion); capital goods ($0.8 billion); consumer goods ($0.7 billion); and other goods ($0.5 billion). Foods, feeds, and beverages were virtually unchanged.

Services by Category

• The August to September increase in exports of services was mostly accounted for by increases in other private services ($0.1 billion), which includes items such as business, professional, and technical services, insurance services, and financial services, and in other transportation ($0.1 billion), which includes freight and port services. Changes in the other categories of services exports were small.
  
  
• The August to September increase in imports of services was more than accounted for by increases in other transportation ($0.2 billion) and other private services ($0.1 billion). Changes in the other categories of services imports were small.

Goods by Geographic Area (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

• The goods deficit with China increased from $20.2 billion in August to $22.1 billion in September. Exports increased $0.3 billion (primarily civilian aircraft, engines, equipment, and parts) to $5.8 billion, while imports increased $2.1 billion (primarily household goods; TV’s, VCR’s, etc.; and toys, games, and sporting goods) to $27.9 billion.
  
  
• The goods deficit with the European Union increased from $5.4 billion in August to $5.5 billion in September. Exports increased $1.4 billion (primarily civilian aircraft, engines, equipment, and parts; and nonmonetary gold) to $18.1 billion, while imports increased $1.5 billion (primarily pharmaceutical preparations and passenger cars) to $23.7 billion.
  
  
• The goods deficit with Mexico increased from $4.0 billion in August to $4.6 billion in September. Exports increased $0.5 billion (primarily computer accessories and petroleum products) to $11.6 billion, while imports increased $1.1 billion (primarily automobiles, parts, and accessories) to $16.2 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: September 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: September 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 December 10, 2009

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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)

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Related sites:

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