International Trade & Investment

The U.S. monthly international trade deficit increased in December 2019 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit increased from $43.7 billion in November (revised) to $48.9 billion in December, as imports increased more than exports. The previously published November deficit was $43.1 billion. The goods deficit increased $5.1 billion in December to $69.7 billion. The services surplus decreased $0.1 billion in December to $20.8 billion.

The U.S. international trade deficit decreased in 2019 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit decreased from $627.7 billion in 2018 to $616.8 billion in 2019, as imports decreased more than exports. As a percentage of U.S. gross domestic product, the goods and services deficit was 2.9 percent in 2019, down from 3.0 percent in 2018. The goods deficit decreased from $887.3 billion in 2018 to $866.0 billion in 2019, and the services surplus decreased from $259.7 billion in 2018 to $249.2 billion in 2019.

New BEA research offers fresh insights into U.S. firms that export and import services internationally.

The research article published recently in the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ Survey of Current Business focuses on firms that are engaged in the trade of “selected services,” a subset of international services trade statistics. BEA’s confidential international surveys gather extensive information on these selected services.

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, narrowed by $1.1 billion, or 0.9 percent, to $124.1 billion in the third quarter of 2019. The narrowing mainly reflected a reduced deficit on goods and an expanded surplus on primary income. The third quarter deficit was 2.3 percent of current dollar gross domestic product, down less than 0.1 percent from the second quarter.

The U.S. monthly international trade deficit decreased in October 2019 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit decreased from $51.1 billion in September (revised) to $47.2 billion in October, as imports decreased more than exports. The previously published September deficit was $52.5 billion. The goods deficit decreased $3.7 billion in October to $68.0 billion. The services surplus increased $0.2 billion in October to $20.8 billion.

Majority-owned U.S. affiliates (MOUSAs) of foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs) employed 7.4 million workers in the United States in 2017, a 2.8 percent increase from 7.2 million in 2016, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The U.S. monthly international trade deficit decreased in September 2019 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit decreased from $55.0 billion in August (revised) to $52.5 billion in September, as imports decreased more than exports. The previously published August deficit was $54.9 billion. The goods deficit decreased $2.7 billion in September to $71.7 billion. The services surplus decreased $0.1 billion in September to $19.3 billion.

The U.S. monthly international trade deficit increased in August 2019 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit increased from $54.0 billion in July (revised) to $54.9 billion in August, as imports increased more than exports. The previously published July deficit was $54.0 billion. The goods deficit increased $0.8 billion in August to $74.4 billion. The services surplus decreased less than $0.1 billion in August to $19.5 billion.

The U.S. net international investment position, the difference between U.S. residents’ foreign financial assets and liabilities, was –$10.56 trillion at the end of the second quarter of 2019, according to statistics released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Assets totaled $28.01 trillion and liabilities were $38.56 trillion. At the end of the first quarter, the net investment position was –$10.16 trillion.

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, narrowed by $8.0 billion, or 5.9 percent, to $128.2 billion in the second quarter of 2019. The narrowing mainly reflected an expanded surplus on primary income. The second quarter deficit was 2.4 percent of current dollar gross domestic product, down from 2.6 percent in the first quarter.