The BEA Wire | BEA's Official Blog
Better Together: International Transactions and International Investment Position
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
Have you ever noticed how some things just go better together? Probably tops on my list are peanut butter and chocolate—neither one is the same without the other. But don’t forget about raisins and bran or watermelon and feta cheese (surprisingly better than it sounds).
Economic Release Schedule Update
SUITLAND, Md. – The following update to BEA’s post-shutdown economic release schedule is currently available:
International Trade in Goods and Services, December and Annual 2025, will be released on Feb. 19 at 8:30 a.m. These data were originally scheduled for release on Feb. 5.
Economic Release Schedule Updates
SUITLAND, Md. – The following updates to BEA’s post-shutdown economic release schedule are currently available:
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, October 2025, will be released on Jan. 8, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. These data were originally scheduled for release on Dec. 4.
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, November 2025, will be released on Jan. 29, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. These data were originally scheduled for…
Statistics on Services Trade Expanded to 147 More Countries and Areas
For the first time, export and import statistics are available for U.S. trade in services with 237 countries and areas, up from 90 previously. Ecuador, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Ukraine are among the countries newly broken out from BEA’s overall services trade statistics.
U.S. Current-Account Deficit Widens in 3rd Quarter 2024
The U.S. current-account deficit, which reflects the combined balances on trade in goods and services and income flows between U.S. residents and residents of other countries, widened by $35.9 billion, or 13.1 percent, to $310.9 billion in the third quarter of 2024. The widening reflected expanded deficits on secondary income, on primary income, and on goods. The third-quarter deficit was 4.2 percent of current-dollar gross domestic product,…
October 2024 Trade Gap is $73.8 Billion
The U.S. goods and services trade deficit decreased from $83.8 billion in September (revised) to $73.8 billion in October, as imports decreased more than exports. The goods deficit decreased $10.4 billion to $98.7 billion, and the services surplus decreased $0.4 billion to $24.8 billion.
Activities of U.S Affiliates of Foreign Multinational Enterprises, 2022
Majority-owned U.S. affiliates of foreign multinational enterprises employed 8.35 million workers in the United States in 2022, a 6.8 percent increase from 7.82 million workers in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. These affiliates accounted for 6.2 percent of total private-industry employment in the United States in 2022.
September 2024 Trade Gap is $84.4 Billion
The U.S. goods and services trade deficit increased from $70.8 billion in August (revised) to $84.4 billion in September, as exports decreased and imports increased. The goods deficit increased $14.2 billion to $109.0 billion, and the services surplus increased $0.6 billion to $24.6 billion.
August 2024 Trade Gap is $70.4 Billion
The U.S. goods and services trade deficit decreased from $78.9 billion in July (revised) to $70.4 billion in August, as exports increased and imports decreased. The goods deficit decreased $8.4 billion to $94.9 billion, and the services surplus increased $0.1 billion to $24.4 billion.
U.S. International Investment Position, 2nd Quarter 2024
The U.S. net international investment position, the difference between U.S. residents’ foreign financial assets and liabilities, was –$22.52 trillion at the end of the second quarter of 2024, according to statistics released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Assets totaled $36.00 trillion, and liabilities were $58.52 trillion. At the end of the first quarter, the net investment position was –$21.29 trillion (revised).
July 2024 Trade Gap is $78.8 Billion
The U.S. goods and services trade deficit increased from $73.0 billion in June (revised) to $78.8 billion in July, as imports increased more than exports. The goods deficit increased $5.6 billion to $103.1 billion, and the services surplus decreased $0.2 billion to $24.3 billion.
Activities of U.S. Multinational Enterprises, 2022
Worldwide employment by U.S. multinational enterprises increased 2.2 percent to 44.3 million workers in 2022 from 43.3 million workers in 2021 (revised).