ethics
06-10-2005, 05:17 PM
In a tentative signal that the huge U.S. trade deficit may finally be stabilizing (and set to decline), the April trade gap widened less than expected, only partially retracing the sharp and unexpected drop in March.
The Commerce Department estimated the April U.S. trade balance at -$57.0 billion, narrower than the -$58.0 billion median of analysts' forecasts (according to Bloomberg). While imports jumped 4.1% in April, exports rose for a second consecutive month by a solid 3.0%. Moreover, the March trade gap was downwardly revised to $53.6 billion (vs. $55.0 billion reported last month), as part of a benchmark data revision released this morning.
--P. Kretzmer of BoA.
The Commerce Department estimated the April U.S. trade balance at -$57.0 billion, narrower than the -$58.0 billion median of analysts' forecasts (according to Bloomberg). While imports jumped 4.1% in April, exports rose for a second consecutive month by a solid 3.0%. Moreover, the March trade gap was downwardly revised to $53.6 billion (vs. $55.0 billion reported last month), as part of a benchmark data revision released this morning.
--P. Kretzmer of BoA.