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                           U.S. Census Bureau
                     U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
                                  NEWS
            U.S. Department of Commerce  Washington, D.C. 20230

                          
CB06-86
BEA06-25
FT-900 (06-04)

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
                               April 2006

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 April exports of $115.7 billion
and imports of $179.1 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $63.4
billion, $1.6 billion more than the $61.9 billion in March, revised.  April exports
were $0.3 billion less than March exports of $115.9 billion.  April imports were
$1.3 billion more than March imports of $177.8 billion.

In April, the goods deficit increased $1.8 billion from March to $69.5 billion, and
the services surplus increased $0.2 billion to $6.0 billion.  Exports of goods
decreased $0.5 billion to $81.9 billion, and imports of goods increased $1.3 billion
to $151.3 billion.  Exports of services increased $0.2 billion to $33.8 billion, and
imports of services were virtually unchanged at $27.8 billion.

In April, the goods and services deficit was up $6.4 billion from April 2005.  Exports
were up $10.3 billion, or 9.8 percent, and imports were up $16.7 billion, or 10.3
percent.

Goods

The March to April change in exports of goods reflected decreases in consumer goods
($0.4 billion) and capital goods ($0.2 billion).  An increase occurred in automotive
vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.1 billion).  Industrial supplies and materials;
foods, feeds, and beverages; and other goods were virtually unchanged.

The March to April change in imports of goods reflected increases in industrial
supplies and materials ($2.4 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines
($0.4 billion); and capital goods ($0.1 billion).  Decreases occurred in consumer
goods ($1.3 billion); other goods ($0.2 billion); and foods, feeds, and beverages
($0.1 billion).

The April 2005 to April 2006 change in exports of goods reflected increases in
capital goods ($3.0 billion); industrial supplies and materials ($2.6 billion);
consumer goods ($0.8 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.7 billion);
foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.3 billion); and other goods ($0.2 billion).

The April 2005 to April 2006 change in imports of goods reflected increases in
industrial supplies and materials ($7.4 billion); capital goods ($2.8 billion);
automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($2.3 billion); consumer goods ($1.7 billion);
and foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.7 billion).  Other goods were virtually unchanged.

Services

Services exports increased $0.2 billion from March to April.  Increases in travel and
transfers under U.S. military sales contracts were partly offset by a decrease in other
private services (which includes items such as business, professional, and technical
services, insurance services, and financial services).  Changes in other categories of
services exports were small.

Services imports were virtually unchanged from March to April.  Increases in travel and
passenger fares were offset by a decrease in other transportation (which includes freight
and port services).  Changes in other categories of services imports were small.

From April 2005 to April 2006, services exports increased $2.7 billion.  The largest
increases were in other private services ($1.5 billion), other transportation ($0.5
billion), and royalties and license fees ($0.4 billion).

From April 2005 to April 2006, services imports increased $1.9 billion.  The largest
increases were in other private services ($1.3 billion) and other transportation
($0.2 billion).

Goods and Services Moving Average

For the three months ending in April, exports of goods and services averaged $115.2
billion, while imports of goods and services averaged $177.8 billion, resulting in an
average trade deficit of $62.6 billion.  For the three months ending in March, the
average trade deficit was $63.6 billion, reflecting average exports of $114.9 billion
and average imports of $178.5 billion.

Selected Not Seasonally Adjusted Goods Details

The April figures showed surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Hong Kong $0.8
($1.0 for March), Australia $0.8 ($0.7), Singapore $0.6 ($0.5), Argentina $0.1 ($0.0),
and Egypt $0.1 ($0.2).  Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with China
$17.0 ($15.6), Europe $11.2 ($11.2), the European Union $9.4 ($10.1), OPEC $8.1 ($8.1),
Japan $7.8 ($7.6), Canada $6.1 ($5.3), Mexico $4.9 ($5.4), Taiwan $1.3 ($1.2), Korea
$0.8 ($0.7), and Brazil $0.6 ($0.7).

Advanced technology products (ATP) exports were $19.8 billion in April and imports
were $21.5 billion, resulting in a deficit of $1.7 billion.  April exports were $3.1
billion less than the $22.9 billion in March, while imports were $3.8 billion less
than the $25.3 billion in March.

Revisions

Goods carry-over in April was $0.2 billion (0.2  percent) for exports and $0.8 billion
(0.5 percent) for imports.  For March, revised export carry-over was $0.1 billion (0.1
percent), revised down from $0.2 billion (0.2 percent).  For March, revised import
carry-over was $0.1 billion (0.1 percent), revised down from $0.6 billion (0.4 percent).

Goods and services exports and imports for all months shown in this release reflect
the incorporation of annual revisions to the goods and services series in the U.S.
international transactions accounts.  See the "Notice" in this release for a description
of major revisions to goods and services exports and imports.


                                    NOTICE

In this release and the accompanying "U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services:
Annual Revision for 2005," the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
(BEA) are jointly publishing revised data on U.S. trade in goods for 2003-2005 and the
first three months of 2006 and revised data on services for 1997-2005 and the first
three months of 2006.

Goods

The 2005 not seasonally adjusted Census-basis goods data were revised to redistribute
monthly data that arrived too late for inclusion in the month of transaction but that
were included, initially, in the month in which the data were received.  In addition,
corrections were made to previously published data.  Once the redistributions of data
to the proper month of transaction and corrections were completed, factors for seasonal
adjustments and trading day adjustments were recomputed and the seasonally adjusted
current-dollar series were revised for 2003-2005 and the first three months of 2006.
Similar changes were made to the chain-weighted dollar series.

Services

The services estimates were revised for 1997-2005 and the first three months of 2006.
The revisions resulted from the incorporation of results from BEA's annual and quarterly
surveys.  Revisions from these sources have an impact mostly on receipts and payments for
2003-2005 and the first three months of 2006.  BEA has instituted a program of quarterly
surveys to better capture movements of large and volatile categories of transactions, as
well as to improve the coverage of transactions.  In addition, this year's revisions
include results from BEA's benchmark survey of foreign direct investment in the United
States for 2002 and from BEA's benchmark survey of financial services transactions with
unaffiliated foreigners for 2004.