News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8:30 A.M. EST THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2005
BEA 05-49

U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: September 2005



Available for this release: Full Release: PDF () | Information Section, Tables: XLS (), Highlights ()

For plain text copies of the tables, please visit the Census web site.

envelope icon  Sign up for e-mail subscriptions.
 
Note: Information on the effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
 
Note: Revisions to trade in services.
                          U.S. Census Bureau
                   U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
                                NEWS
          U.S. Department of Commerce  Washington, D.C. 20230


                         
CB05-164
BEA05-49
FT-900 (05-09)

For information on goods contact:
U.S. Census Bureau:
Nick Orsini    (301) 763-6959
Vanessa Ware   (301) 763-2311

For information on services contact:
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis:
Technical:  Christopher Bach   (202) 606-9545
Media:      Ralph Stewart      (202) 606-2649


              U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES
                             September 2005

Goods and Services

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the
Department of Commerce, announced today that total September exports of $105.2 billion
and imports of $171.3 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $66.1
billion, $6.8 billion more than the $59.3 billion in August, revised.  September
exports were $2.8 billion less than August exports of $108.0 billion. September
imports were $4.0 billion more than August imports of $167.3 billion.

In September, the goods deficit increased $7.1 billion from August to $71.1 billion,
and the services surplus increased $0.3 billion to $5.0 billion.  Exports of goods
decreased $3.3 billion to $73.4 billion, and imports of goods increased $3.8 billion
to $144.5 billion.  Exports of services increased $0.5 billion to $31.8 billion, and
imports of services increased $0.2 billion to $26.8 billion.

In September, the goods and services deficit was up $14.2 billion from September 2004.
Exports were up $7.5 billion, or 7.7 percent, and imports were up $21.7 billion,
or 14.5 percent.

Goods

The August to September change in exports of goods reflected decreases in capital
goods ($2.3 billion); industrial supplies and materials ($1.2 billion); and foods,
feeds, and beverages ($0.3 billion).  An increase occurred in consumer goods
($0.4 billion).  Other goods and automotive vehicles, parts, and engines were
virtually unchanged.

The August to September change in imports of goods reflected increases in industrial
supplies and materials ($2.7 billion); consumer goods ($0.9 billion); other goods
($0.4 billion); capital goods ($0.3 billion); and foods, feeds, and beverages
($0.2 billion).  A decrease occurred in automotive vehicles, parts, and engines
($0.7 billion).

The September 2004 to September 2005 change in exports of goods reflected increases
in industrial supplies and materials ($1.5 billion); consumer goods ($1.1 billion);
capital goods ($1.0 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.6 billion);
and other goods ($0.3 billion).  Foods, feeds, and beverages were virtually unchanged.

The September 2004 to September 2005 change in imports of goods reflected increases
in industrial supplies and materials ($11.6 billion); consumer goods ($3.3 billion);
capital goods ($2.6 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.9 billion); other goods
($0.7 billion); and automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.7 billion).

Services

Services exports increased $0.5 billion from August to September.  The increase was
mostly accounted for by increases in other private services (which includes items
such as business, professional, and technical services, insurance services, and
financial services), travel, and other transportation (which includes freight and
port services). Changes in other categories of services exports were small.

Services imports increased $0.2 billion from August to September.  The increase was
more than accounted for by increases in other transportation, travel, and other
private services.  Changes in other categories of services imports were small.

From September 2004 to September 2005, services exports increased $3.1 billion.
The largest increases were in travel ($0.8 billion), royalties and license fees
($0.7 billion), other transportation ($0.5 billion), and other private services
($0.5 billion).

From September 2004 to September 2005, services imports increased $1.8 billion.
The largest increases were in other private services ($0.7 billion), other
transportation ($0.4 billion), and travel ($0.3 billion).

Goods and Services Moving Average

For the three months ending in September, exports of goods and services averaged
$106.5 billion, while imports of goods and services averaged $167.7 billion,
resulting in an average trade deficit of $61.1 billion.  For the three months
ending in August, the average trade deficit was $58.9 billion, reflecting average
exports of $106.7 billion and average imports of $165.7 billion.

Selected Not Seasonally Adjusted Goods Details

The September figures showed surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Australia $0.7
(for August $0.7), Hong Kong $0.5 ($0.6), Singapore $0.5 ($0.4), and Egypt $0.0
($0.1). Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with China $20.1 ($18.5),
Europe $12.0 ($12.8), the European Union $10.1 ($11.3), OPEC $9.1 ($9.0), Canada
$7.4 ($6.6), Japan $6.4 ($6.6), Mexico $4.3 ($4.2), Taiwan $1.3 ($0.8), Korea
$1.2 ($1.3), and Brazil $0.7 ($0.6).

Advanced technology products (ATP) exports were $17.1 billion in September and
imports were $22.6 billion, resulting in a deficit of $5.6 billion.  September
exports were $1.5 billion less than the $18.5 billion in August, while imports
were $0.8 billion more than the $21.8 billion in August.

Revisions

Goods carry-over in September was $0.2 billion (0.3 percent) for exports and $1.2
billion (0.8 percent) for imports.  For August, revised export carry-over was $0.1
billion (0.1 percent), revised down from $0.2 billion (0.3 percent).  For August,
revised import carry-over was $0.5 billion (0.4 percent), revised down from $1.3
billion (0.9 percent).

Services exports for August were revised down $0.2 billion to $31.3 billion; the
revision was mostly accounted for by downward revisions in travel and passenger
fares.  Services imports for August were revised down $0.1 billion to $26.6
billion; the revision was more than accounted for by downward revisions in travel
and passenger fares.


                                     NOTICE

       New Preliminary Export and Import Goods Data for the Gulf Region

The Census Bureau will release preliminary export and import data for districts in
the Gulf Region affected by the hurricanes three weeks earlier than the official
monthly release.  The report is available at www.census.gov/trade and contains
preliminary export and import totals for each of the ports in the Gulf region and
aggregated industry data for five Districts.  This release will pertain solely to
Census basis goods trade data involving districts in the region affected by hurricanes
Katrina and Rita, and will not include any data on trade in services. The preliminary
release can be found at www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/gulf_index.html.

The Census Bureau requested, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) granted,
an exception under Section 7 of OMB Statistical Policy Directive No. 3 on the
Compilation, Release, and Evaluation of Principal Federal Economic Indicators to the
previously approved schedule of release dates.  The OMB exception, for a period not to
exceed six months, was for the sole purpose of providing public release of preliminary
monthly trade statistics for the Gulf region.

The data will provide more timely trade statistics on export and import flows in this
major international trade gateway.  The statistics in this release will have several
limitations, the most significant being the coverage of the preliminary data in relation
to the final data.  Analysis of Gulf Region export and import goods data indicates the
value of preliminary data should be between 70 and 90 percent of the final value
reported in the regular monthly trade report, with wider variations by district, port,
and industry group.

Preliminary data will be released on the dates given below at 10:00 a.m.  OMB, in
consultation with the Census Bureau, will determine if an optional two-month extension
is warranted.

                 Statistical Month      Date           Day
                 October 2005           11-21-05       Monday
                 November 2005          12-20-05       Tuesday
                 December 2005          01-20-06       Friday

If you have questions please contact nick.orsini@census.gov.