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WASHINGTON : The US trade deficit widened slightly in June to 27.0 billion dollars as volumes increased for a second consecutive month amid signs of global economic recovery, government data showed on Wednesday.
The increase in the trade gap was less than the 28.5 billion dollars expected by most analysts.
The Commerce Department said the deficit was a revised 26.0 billion dollars in May.
The June trade deficit was 55 per cent below the level of a year ago. The Commerce Department said that adjusted for inflation, the deficit was the smallest since December 1999.
Trade flows between the world's largest economy and other countries accelerated for the second month: up 2.2 per cent in June after a slight 0.4 per cent rise in May.
Trade volumes hit their lowest level of 2009 in April after nine straight months of declines amid the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression.
In June, imports rose 2.3 per cent from the previous month, to 152.8 billion dollars.
Imports were at their highest level since January; goods imports rose for the first time, after falling for 10 months in a row.
Exports increased for the second month running, by 2.0 per cent to 125.8 billion dollars, and were the strongest since February, signalling some recovery in demand from US trade partners.
Still, the effects of the crisis, which has sharply curbed Americans' renowned appetite for consumption, was evident.
Excluding oil products, the Commerce Department noted the US trade deficit was its weakest since January 1999, at 20.0 billion dollars, and 11.7 per cent below the May level.
Surging crude oil prices continued to boost the overall trade gap.
The oil products trade deficit, while far from its record 2008 levels, jumped 29.3 per cent from May to 17.2 billion dollars, or 63.7 per cent of the total trade gap.
The average price of a barrel of imported oil continued its spectacular rise in June, to 59.17 dollars, up 16 per cent from the previous month.
That was 51 per cent higher than in February, when the price fell to a low of 39.22 dollars.
Among other imported goods, consumer goods fell 4.8 per cent and capital goods slipped 0.3 per cent, while food rose 1.2 per cent, vehicles leapt 8.5 per cent and industrial supplies and materials soared 11.8 per cent, after falling in nine of the past 10 months.
In another positive sign that foreign demand is building, the US services surplus reached 11.4 billion dollars, its highest level since October.
By region, the goods trade deficit with Canada, the biggest US trade partner, more than tripled, to 1.6 billion dollars.
The politically sensitive gap with China, the second-largest US trade partner, swelled to 18.4 billion dollars from 17.5 billion in May. That was its highest level since January.
Critics accuse the Asian powerhouse of keeping its currency artificially low to gain a trade advantage.
The deficit with the 16-nation eurozone nearly doubled, to 4.1 billion dollars.
With Japan, the deficit rose to 3.7 billion dollars from 1.9 billion in May. - AFP/ms
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