(What’s Left of) Our Economy: A Decent Month & a Long Way to Go for US Trade

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Canada, Census Bureau, China, exports, Germany, imports, Made in Washington trade deficit, Mexico, NAFTA, North American Free Trade Agreement, recovery, South Korea, Trade, trade deficit, Trump, {What's Left of) Our Economy

America’s goods and services trade deficit decreased by 5.93 percent in June – a second straight sequential decline that resulted in its lowest level ($43.64 billion) since last October. Highlighting the month’s results was an all-time high services exports figure ($65.37 billion). In addition, total exports hit their highest level ($194.37 billion) since the end of 2014, and June goods exports to Mexico ($21.35 billion) were the second greatest total on record, and the merchandise deficit fell on month at its fastest pace (18.28 percent) since July, 2015.

Yet despite these milestones, the total trade deficit for the first half of the year ($276.60 billion) was the highest six-month total since the first six months of 2012. Further, goods exports to China – which accounts for roughly half of the total American merchandise trade deficit – fell in June at their fastest rate (4.74 percent) since January, 2016 (18.41 percent). And although the China-heavy manufacturing and high tech trade deficits fell on month, they are running ahead of last year’s totals as well. Indeed, the latter’s six-month total ($43.40 billion) represents an all-time high. Year-to-date merchandise shortfalls have risen – including a quadrupling of the Canada shortfall – with many of the foreign economies whose trade policies have been criticized by President Trump. (Germany and South Korea were important exceptions).

The June figures also showed a quarterly uptick in the drag on the current recovery of the Made in Washington portion of the U.S. trade deficit from an already lofty level – cutting 17.47 percent from cumulative growth since the expansion began in mid-2009, or just under $464 billion.

Here are selected highlights of the latest monthly (June) trade balance figures released yesterday morning by the Census Bureau:

>In June, the combined U.S. goods and services trade deficit dropped for its second straight month, from a downwardly revised $46.39 billion to $43.64 billion. The new total brought the shortfall to its lowest level since last October ($43.07 billion).

>Leading this progress were U.S. services exports, which rose on month by 0.94 percent to a a second straight new all-time high: $65.37 billion.

>Total exports hit something of a milestone, too, increasing by 1.23 percent sequentially to their highest level ($194.37 billion) since December, 2014 ($197.18 billion).

>Moreover, on the eve of the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the June data show that U.S. goods exports to NAFTA partner Mexico improved by 7.42 percent over May’s figure, to hit their second highest total ($21.35 billion) on record. (The all-time high of $22.35 billion was set in August, 2014).

>Yet in contrast to this good news, the combined American trade deficit for the first six months of the year ($276.60 billion) was the worst January-June total since 2012’s $281.46 billion – when economic growth was somewhat faster.

>Another June low-light: China, which may face punitive unilateral U.S. tariffs, bought 4.74 percent few goods from the United State than in May – the steepest such drop since January, 2016’s 18.41 percent.

>U.S. merchandise imports from China, however, rose by 1.17 percent, to $42.29 billion, and helped push the June American deficit up 3.08 percent, to $32.58 billion – the highest since last August’s $33.86 billion.

>Year-to-date, the U.S. goods deficit with China is running 6.08 percent ahead of last year’s pace, even though exports have risen nearly twice as fast (up 15.63 percent) than imports (8.39 percent).

>Although it fell on month in June (by 6.83 percent, to $8.82 billion), on a year-to-date basis, the trade deficit for high tech goods for the first half of this year set its own new record for the January-June period – $43.40 billion.

>In fact, this shortfall is up 33.37 percent from the previous January-June period.

>Between the first half of last year and the first half of this year, U.S. High tech exports inched up by only 0.36 percent, but imports have climbed 5.66 percent.

>A similar story unfolded in manufacturing. The trade gap fell 4.93 percent on a monthly basis, from $80.10 billion in May (the second highest total ever) to $76.13 billion.

>Manufacturing exports rose 2.98 percent on month, while imports dipped by 0.70 percent.

>Year-to-date, however, the manufacturing trade deficit is running 6.19 percent ahead of last year’s record pace, which resulted in an $853.07 billion 12-month total.

>Manufacturing exports are up 3.86 percent for the January-June period, but imports have grown by 4.98 percent.

>Mexico represents another example of a country criticized by President Trump whose merchandise trade surplus with the United States shrunk sequentially but has risen on a year-to-date basis.

>Thanks largely to those robust American goods export figures, the U.S. goods deficit with Mexico sank by fully 18.28 percent month-to-month – the fastest rate since July, 2015 (43.12 percent). American goods purchases from Mexico rose by only 0.52 percent over June’s levels.

>Year-to-date, however, the U.S. merchandise shortfall with Mexico is up by 13.26 percent, as goods exports have risen by 5.04 percent, but imports have grown by a faster 6.86 percent.

>An even more extreme example is provided by Canada, with which U.S. goods trade flows have been exceptionally volatile, albeit in the context of a balance that has become notably modest.

>In June, the American merchandise deficit with Canada nosedived by 54.42 percent. The decrease was only from $1.37 billion to $624 million in absolute terms, but that’s still the lowest Canadian goods surplus since June, 2016.

>On a monthly basis, U.S. goods exports to Canada improved by 1.11 percent, and imports fell by 1.77 percent.

>Between the first six months of this last year and this year, however, the U.S. goods deficit with Canada has more than quadrupled, from $2.20 billion to $10.51 billion. American merchandise exports have advanced by 3.94 percent, but imports rose by nearly twice as fast – 9.95 percent.

>Indeed, the American goods shortfall with its partners in NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), which will soon be renegotiated by the three signatories, dropped by 24 percent month-to-month in June, from $8.66 billion to $6.58 billion, on an export increase of 3.91 percent and an import dip of 0.61 percent.

>Year-to-date, however, this deficit has surged by 36.68 percent, from $34.24 billion to $46.79 billion, as U.S. goods sales to Mexico and Canada combined have improved by 4.44 percent, but purchases from the two grew by 8.36 percent.

>Yet U.S. goods trade with Germany has shown a reversal of this pattern. In June, the American merchandise deficit rose by 10.03 percent, from $4.99 billion to $5.49 billion. U.S. exports increased by a mere 0.18 percent, while imports were up by 5.36 percent.

>The American goods deficit with Germany on a year-to-date basis, however, has decreased by 5.48 percent, as U.S. merchandise sales to Germany have advanced by 7.04 percent, while purchases from Germany have slipped by 0.1 percent.

>U.S. goods trade with South Korea followed this pattern, but with bigger disparities between the on-month and on-year data. Sequentially in June, the American merchandise deficit jumped by 26.23 percent, from $1.46 billion to $1.85 billion. U.S. merchandise sales to South Korea were off 5.96 percent, but American goods imports increased by 1.95 percent.

>Yet between January-June, 2016 and January-June, 2017, this American merchandise deficit cratered by 31.91 percent, from $16.46 billion to $11.20 billion. U.S. goods exports to South Korea surged by 21.82 percent during this period, while imports slid by 2.38 percent.

>At the same time, on a monthly basis, the American merchandise trade deficit with South Korea has more than tripled (from $561.4 billion) since the bilateral trade agreement went into effect in March, 2012.

>The June trade figures make clear that the drag on American growth exerted by the Made in Washington portion of the U.S. trade deficit grew slightly between the first and second quarters of this year – from an already considerable level.

>This deficit consists of U.S. trade flows heavily influenced by trade agreements and other trade policy decisions – thus omitting services and oil trade – that are then adjusted for inflation.

>Between the second quarter of 2009 – when the current recovery officially began – and the first quarter of 2017, the increase in this Made in Washington deficit has cut cumulative U.S. growth by 17.40 percent, or $443.24 billion out of $2.5476 billion in real GDP expansion.

>As of the second quarter of 2017, this drag effect increased to 17.47 percent, or $463.97 billion out of $2.6551 billion in real GDP expansion.

(What’s Left of) Our Economy: A Mixed Bag of May U.S. Trade Figures

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(What's Left of) Our Economy. trade, Census Bureau, China, exports, Germany, high tech goods trade, imports, Made in Washington trade deficit, manufacturing, non-oil goods trade deficit, recovery, services trade, South Korea, Trump

America’s goods and services trade deficit decreased by 2.27 percent sequentially in May, to $46.51 billion, as services exports ($64.82 billion) and services imports ($43.84 billion) both hit all-time monthly highs. Combined exports rose 0.45 percent on month to $192.03 billion – their best total since April, 2015 ($192.59 billion).

But the huge, chronic U.S. manufacturing trade shortfall jumped by 13.92 percent, to $80.10 billion, its second highest level ever (after last November’s $80.75 billion). Merchandise exports to South Korea – whose free trade deal with the United States has been faulted by President Trump – rose sequentially to a record monthly level of $4.49 billion. Yet the immense U.S. goods trade deficit with China soared by 14.39 percent, to an eight-month high of $31.61 billion. The jump came amid signs of higher overall U.S.-China tensions.

And the overall year-to-date U.S. trade deficit of $233.07 billion was its highest since January-May, 2012’s $238 billion, when growth was somewhat faster. In fact, the cumulative trade drag on the long but weak American economic recovery (as of the first quarter of 2017) remained above 10.50 percent (representing nearly $230 billion in lost inflation-adjusted growth). Nearly twice as great has been the growth hit from the increase in the Made in Washington real non-oil goods deficit was still nearly twice as great.

Here are selected highlights of the latest monthly (May) trade balance figures released this morning by the Census Bureau:

>In May, the total U.S. trade deficit dropped by 2.27 percent, from a downwardly adjusted $47.59 billion to $46.51 billion.

>Highlighting the results were record services exports ($64.82 billion) and services imports ($43.84 billion). The services trade surplus improved by 1.04 percent on month, from April’s upwardly adjusted $20.77 billion to $20.99 billion.

>The total trade deficit’s narrowing was also helped by the best monthly combined goods and services exports figure ($192.03 billion) since April, 2015’s $192.59 billion. The May total export level was 0.45 percent higher than April’s upwardly adjusted $191.17 billion.

> Total imports inched down by a mere 0.09 percent in May, from April’s upwardly adjusted $238.76 billion to $238.54 billion.

>Another May record: U.S. merchandise exports to South Korea, whose 2012 trade agreement has been criticized by President Trump. These American goods sales reached $4.49 billion – a 1.48 percent increase over April’s $4.43 billion.

>U.S. goods imports from South Korea declined by 3.65 percent on month in May, to $5.96 billion, and the merchandise deficit plummeted by 16.60 percent, to $1.46 billion. That total, however, is still nearly three times greater than the trade gap when the trade treaty went into effect in March, 2012 ($561 million).

>At the same time, as Mr. Trump has soured on China for North Korea-related reasons, the PRC’s mammoth goods trade surplus with the United States jumped 14.39 percent sequentially in May to $31.69 billion – an eight month high.

>U.S. goods exports to China climbed by 3.59 percent sequentially in May, but imports were up much faster – by 11.56 percent.

>Year-to-date, moreover, the China merchandise trade surplus is up 5.28 percent.

>The widening of the China gap could largely explain the big (13.92 percent) sequential deterioration of the huge, chronic U.S. manufacturing trade deficit – from $70.31 billion in April to $80.10 billion in May. That May figure is the second worst on record, after last November’s $80.75 billion.

>Manufacturing exports advanced by 3.80 percent on month in May, from $89.26 billion to $92.65 billion.

>But the far larger amount of manufacturing imports soared by 8.26 percent, from $159.57 billion to $172.75 billion.

>These results pushed the January-May manufacturing trade deficit up 6.96 percent, to $356.226 billion.

>Year-to-date manufacturing exports have risen by 3.67 percent in 2017. But the much larger amount of imports is up 5.10 percent.

>The good May results notwithstanding, the total U.S. trade deficit for the first five months of 2017 ($233.07 billion) was the worst such figure since the $238 billion of 2012 – when economic growth was somewhat faster.

>America’s trade performance with Germany, which the president also has criticized, provided better news in May. The U.S. merchandise shortfall dropped by 8.90 percent on month, to $4.99 billion, as American goods exports advanced and imports fell. And year-to-date, the bilateral gap is down by 6.73 percent.

>Less encouraging were May’s high tech goods trade numbers – which tend to be volatile. The American global deficit in this category skyrocketed by 56.73 percent, to $9.47 billion.

>U.S. high tech goods exports were off only by 0.51 percent sequentially, to $28.48 billion. But imports rose by 9.46 percent, to $37.95 billion.

>Year-to-date, the high tech goods gap has ballooned by 37.13 percent – to $34.58 billion. As with the overall trade deficit, that’s the highest figure since the first five months of 2012 ($35.21 billion).

>The cumulative trade drag on the long but slow American economic recovery stood at 10.66 percent as of the first quarter of 2017. That means that the increase in the inflation-adjusted trade deficit since the expansion began in the second quarter of 2009 has cut real economic growth during this period by $229.3 billion.

>The trade drag of the Made in Washington trade deficit – which adjusts trade flows for inflation and omits service and energy trade flows that are only lightly affected by U.S. trade policy – has been nearly twice as great. As of the first quarter, it stood at 20.57 percent of cumulative growth, or a $441.51 billion hit.

>Between April and May, this real non-oil goods trade deficit grew shrank from $62.23 billion to a still lofty $60.38 billion. If June’s total is comparable, the Made in Washington trade drag on the recovery will rise yet higher, and will be calculable once the second quarter gross domestic product figures are released.

(What’s Left of) Our Economy: Again, A Better U.S. Trade Performance Produces More Growth

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Bureau of Economic Analusis, Census Bureau, Commerce Department, exports, GDP, goods, Great Recession, gross domestic product, imports, Made in Washington trade deficit, real GDP, real trade deficit, recovery, services, Trade, {What's Left of) Our Economy

Sorry for being late with this analysis of the federal government’s final (for now) report on economic growth in the first quarter – which came out on Thursday. Life has this stubborn habit of intruding, etc. But the results are worth considering because they show once again that, even though the intertwined economics, business, and political establishments insist otherwise, a smaller trade deficit is usually better for the domestic economy, and especially for its productive side (the key to sustainable prosperity). Here’s a somewhat abbreviated version of the highlights:

>The government’s third report on the gross domestic product (GDP) showed that the downward revision of the first quarter’s inflation-adjusted trade deficit from $600 billion to $595.6 billion boosted trade’s contribution to growth – though it wasn’t big enough to prevent overall performance from weakening sequentially.

>The previous GDP report estimated that real net trade contributed 0.13 percentage points to the first quarter’s 1.15 percent annualized price-adjusted sequential growth. Now the quarter-to-quarter narrowing of the after-inflation trade deficit added 0.23 percentage points to 1.42 percent annualized constant dollar growth.

>And the first quarter’s trade role was a stunning turnaround from the fourth quarter’s. The final results for that period show that a jump in the real trade deficit subtracted 1.82 percentage points from 2.06 percent annualized growth. That is, a worse trade performance cut inflation-adjusted growth nearly in half.

>In fact, that difference produced the biggest positive swing in trade’s pro-growth role (of 2.05 percentage points) since the first quarter of 2009 (2.15 percentage points). At that time, the economy was in the depths of the Great Recession, when the economy, and contracting at a sickening 5.4 percent annual rate.

>At the same time, the newest $595.6 billion quarterly trade gap was still the second largest since the $623.7 billion deficit registered in the first quarter of 2008, as the economy was just starting to fall into recession.

>All categories of exports and imports tracked in the real GDP figures remained at new quarterly all-time highs in the first quarter. And with the exception of services exports, all categories exceeded the results from the previous GDP report.

>Combined annualized goods and services exports in the first quarter were upgraded from their record $2.168 trillion to $2.1740 trillion – and are now judged to be 1.71 percent higher than the fourth quarter’s level. The previous quarterly all-time high had been $2.1620 trillion annualized, set in the third quarter of last year.

>The record annualized goods export total was revised up from 1.4832 trillion to $1.4904 trillion – an increase of 2.53 percent over the fourth quarter. The previous record of $1.4792 trillion was also set in third quarter, 2016.

>Services exports were revised down from $685.8 billion annualized to $685.0 billion. That amount still exceeded the fourth quarter total by 0.18 percent, and still topped the previous record of $684 billion record set in the first quarter of 2015.

>Total annualized first quarter imports were revised slightly higher, from a record $2.7679 trillion annualized to $2.7696 trillion – one percent greater than the $2.7424 trillion fourth quarter level that was the previous record.

>Goods imports also were revised up fractionally, from $2.2782 trillion to $2.2792 trillion annualized. That represented a 1.08 percent increase over the fourth quarter level of $2.2549 trillion – also the previous record.

>Services imports were reported last month at their eighth straight quarterly record., and they remained so in today’s report. The previous $487.4 billion is now judged to be $488.1 billion – a 0.62 percent sequential increase.

>According to these new GDP figures, the trade drag on the current, historically weak, economic recovery continued to shrink. Initially coming in at 9.70 percent, it was revised down to 9.32 percent last month and in the third estimate equaled 9.11 percent. The total as of the fourth quarter was 9.71 percent. The new data mean that the economy has grown by $229.3 billion less in real terms during the recovery due to the increase in the real trade deficit.

>The trade drag created by the Made in Washington deficit is still more than twice as great, according to the GDP data (which comes from the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis) and separate figures compiled by the Census Bureau (another arm of Commerce). And it’s bounced back up as of the latest data from both sources.

>This deficit strips out U.S. trade in oil (which is rarely the subject of trade deals or related policy decisions) and services (where liberalization has made relatively little progress). The growth of the remaining real non-oil goods deficit during the current recovery has slowed cumulative inflation adjusted growth by fully 21.52 percent – slightly higher than the 21.26 percent produced by the previous set of results.

>And it mean that the growth of this policy-influenced trade deficit has cost the U.S. economy nearlyy $542 billion in cumulative inflation-adjusted production during this recovery.

(What’s Left of) Our Economy: April’s U.S. Trade Figures Sure Weren’t Winners

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China, economic growth, exports, GDP, Germany, gross domestic product, high tech goods, imports, Made in Washington trade deficit, manufacturing, non-oil goods trade deficit, Trade, trade deficit, {What's Left of) Our Economy

Since last Friday was one of those days when both the U.S. jobs figures and trade figures were released the same morning, and since I was traveling that day, I didn’t get a chance to report on the latter as promptly as usual. But that doesn’t mean the trade figures should be overlooked! Here’s a quick rundown of the high- (or low-) lights, which cover the month of April:

>The combined goods and services U.S. trade deficit rose by 5.15 percent on month, from $45.28 billion to $47.62 billion. But for a change, the big news in this total trade shortfall category was in the revision for the March gap – it was upgraded from an initially reported $43.71 billion. That’s a ginormous 3.61 percent.

>Total exports fell sequentially in April by 0.25 percent, from $191.46 billion to $190.98 billion, and total imports increased from $236.74 billion to $238.59 billion, or 0.78 percent.

>And quite naturally, the March revisions were substantial, too. That month’s combined export total was upgraded by 0.25 percent, and the much larger combined import total revised up by 0.87 percent.

>Also disturbing about the new trade figures: They show that for the first four months of this year, the total trade deficit is up by 13.43 percent on a year-to-date basis. That’s more than four times as fast as the total economy grew between the first quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year (4.08 percent – both these figures are in pre-inflation dollars).

>With Germany’s trade policies in the Trump administration’s cross-hairs and therefore in the news, it’s noteworthy that the U.S. merchandise shortfall with Germany grew sequentially by 5.43 percent, to $5.48 billion in April. That’s the highest monthly total since last August’s $6.05 billion.

>U.S. goods imports from Germany fell by 4.11 percent sequentially, but America’s goods exports sank on month by 15.34 percent.

> At the same time, the Germany goods deficit is down by 5.24 percent year-to-date.

>Of America’s other major trade partners, only the merchandise deficit with China increased significantly on month – from $24.58 billion to $27.63 billion, or 12.42 percent.

>U.S. goods exports to China advanced by 2.22 percent, but imports rose by 9.55 percent.

>The U.S. merchandise trade deficit with China is 4.21 percent larger in the first four months of this year than it was the first four months of last year.

>The April manufacturing trade deficit of $70.31 billion was just 0.79 percent higher than March’s $69.76 billion. Manufactures exports were off by 7.91 percent sequentially, while the much greater amount of imports fell by just 4.27 percent.

>Year to date, the manufacturing trade deficit looks set to establish yet another annual record. At $276.12 billion, it’s already running 6.20 percent ahead of last year’s pace.

>For the first four months of this year, manufacturing exports are up by 3.44 percent, but imports are 4.64 percent higher.

>The story is even worse in high tech goods. The trade shortfall actual dipped by 0.49 percent on month in April – from $6.07 to $6.04 billion. Exports were 8.28 percent lower than in March, and imports were off by 7.01 percent.

>Year-to-date, however, the high tech trade gap is up by 36.69 percent – from $18.37 billion to $25.11 billion. Exports have inched up by 0.25 percent, but imports are 5.42 percent higher.

>The U.S. trade deficit in oil fell by a sharp 35.56 percent sequentially in April, from $8.43 billion to $5.43 billion – the lowest monthly total since last September ($5.13 billion).

>But the April non-oil goods deficit of $61.71 billion was 9.22 percent higher than March’s $56.50 billion. It was also the highest monthly total for this shortfall – which is heavily influenced by U.S. trade agreements and other trade policy decisions – since March, 2015’s $61.74 billion (the highest monthly figure in a data series that goes back to 1992).

>Moreover, in real terms, the April non-oil goods deficit climbed 7.62 percent on month, to $62.04 billion. That’s also the highest total since March, 2015’s $62.80 billion (which was another all-time high).

>Since the headline U.S. government data on changes in the gross domestic product (GDP) are adjusted for inflation, this lofty figure for the real non-oil goods deficit indicates that this Made in Washington shortfall’s growth will drag on economic growth in the second quarter of this year.

(What’s Left of) Our Economy: Modest Trade Improvement Helps Lift U.S. Growth a Bit

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exports, GDP, Great Recession, gross domestic product, imports, Made in Washington trade deficit, real GDP, real trade deficit, recovery, Trade, trade deficit, {What's Left of) Our Economy

The government’s first revision of first quarter gross domestic product (GDP) figures showed that the inflation-adjusted trade deficit shrank slightly more than originally reported on a sequential basis, and therefore boosted growth by fractionally more (0.13 percentage points rather than 0.07 percentage points). Nonetheless, the quarter-to-quarter positive swing in trade’s growth role (1.95 percentage points) now matches the biggest such change since the fourth quarter of 2010. The $599.9 billion quarterly real trade still represented the second biggest quarterly total since the $623.7 billion run up in the first quarter of 2008, just after the last recession officially began.

The new GDP figures show all of the major categories of after-inflation exports and imports still at new quarterly records, with the former generally fractionally higher and the latter generally fractionally lower. (Services exports were the exception.) The cumulative growth drag created by the real trade deficit’s increase during the current, historically feeble economic recovery shrank from 9.70 percent in the advance first quarter GDP read to 9.32 percent. Separate Census data show that the Made in Washington trade drag declined in the first quarter as well, but at 21.26 percent still represented nearly $533 billion in foregone real output.

Here are the trade highlights from this morning’s GDP report:

>The government’s second look at first quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) showed that a slightly smaller real trade deficit than previously reported made a slightly larger contribution to inflation-adjusted growth.

>The new $599.99 billion annualized trade deficit number (down from the previously reported $605 billion) means that the shortfall shrank sequentially by 0.84 percent. As a result, trade’s absolute boost to growth (0.13 percentage points) was larger than the 0.07 percentage point figure reported last month.

>Moreover, the quarterly positive swing in the trade’s growth role from the fourth quarter of last year (when it subtracted 1.82 percentage points) grew to 1.95 percentage points – matching the biggest such total since the fourth quarter of 2010.

>At the same time, this quarterly trade gap was still the second largest since the $623.7 billion deficit registered in the first quarter of 2008, as the economy was just starting to succumb to the Great Recession.

>All categories of exports and imports tracked in the real GDP figures remained at new quarterly records in the first quarter, with all export totals except for services exports rising modestly, and all import totals falling modestly.

>Combined annualized goods and services exports in the first quarter were upgraded from $2.1675 trillion to $2.168 trillion – 1.43 percent higher than the fourth quarter’s level. The previous quarterly all-time high had been $2.1620 trillion annualized, set in the third quarter of last year.

>The goods export total was revised up from $1.4828 trillion to 1.4832 trillion – an increase of 2.04 percent over the fourth quarter. The previous record of $1.4792 trillion was also set in third quarter, 2016.

>Services exports remained unchanged at $685.8 billion annualized – and still topped the previous record of $684 billion record set in the first quarter of 2015.

>Total annualized first quarter imports were pegged at $2.7679 trillion – a bit lower than the previously reported $2.7703 trillion level, and 0.93 percent higher than the fourth quarter total. The new first quarter level still bested the previous $2.7424 billion record of that fourth quarter.

>Goods imports also were revised down fractionally, from $2.2797 trillion to $2.2782 trillion. That still represented a 1.03 percent increase over the fourth quarter level of $2.2549 trillion – the previous record.

>Services imports were reported last month at their eighth straight quarterly record., and they remained so in today’ report. But the previous $488.3 billion figure was revised down to $487.4 billion – a 0.47 percent sequential increase.

>According to these new GDP figures, the trade drag on the current, historically weak, economic recovery was smaller in the first quarter than previously estimated. The 9.70 percent figure was revised down to 9.32 percent – somewhat lower than the fourth quarter’s 9.71 percent. The new data mean that the economy has grown by $233.6 billion less in real terms during the recovery due to the increase in the real trade deficit.

>The trade drag created by the Made in Washington deficit is still more than twice as great, according to the GDP data and separate figures compiled by the Census Bureau. But it, too, has been slightly downgraded.

>This deficit strips out U.S. trade in oil (which is rarely the subject of trade deals or related policy decisions) and services (where liberalization has made relatively little progress). The growth of the remaining real non-oil goods deficit during the current recovery has slowed cumulative inflation adjusted growth by fully 21.26 percent.

>That’s down from the 21.67 percent growth loss that could be calculated from the previous GDP report, but it will means that the growth of this policy-influenced trade deficit has cost the U.S. economy $532.9 billion in cumulative inflation-adjusted production during this recovery.

(What’s Left of) Our Economy: U.S. Trade Deficit Took a (Largely Asian) Holiday in February

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Asia, Census Bureau, China, exports, Germany, high tech goods, imports, Japan, Made in Washington trade deficit, manufacturing, New Year, non-oil goods trade deficit, recovery, South Korea, Trade, trade deficit, Trump, {What's Left of) Our Economy

America’s goods and services trade deficit dropped by a marked 9.58 percent on-month in February from the near-five-year high it reached in January. Largely responsible were narrower trade gaps with China (down 26.64 percent) and other Asian countries celebrating their new year. In turn, these results contributed to smaller shortfalls in the manufacturing (down 19.88 percent) and high tech goods (down 46.39 percent) so prominent in their commerce with the United States. Combined goods and services exports in February inched up sequentially to reach their highest level ($192.87 billion) since December, 2014 ($197.46 billion).

Goods exports rose slightly (to $128.46 billion) – their best total since April, 2015 ($128.97 billion). High tech goods imports, meanwhile dropped to their lowest level ($25.39 billion) since February, 2015 ($28.80 billion). In addition, the total trade deficit, the goods deficit, total imports, and goods imports declined by their biggest sequential amounts since last March. Although Germany’s trade and currency practices have been targeted by the Trump administration, February’s goods trade shortfall with Germany ($4.44 billion) was the smallest since January, 2013 ($3.93 billion).

The real non-oil goods deficit – which is heavily influenced by policy and thus should be considered Made in Washington – decreased by 7.30 percent, which suggests that trade’s recovery era drag on U.S. growth will diminish.

Here are selected highlights of the latest monthly (February) trade balance figures released this morning by the Census Bureau:

>The February U.S. trade deficit seemed to take (an Asian) holiday. Its 9.58 percent drop from January’s (downwardly adjusted) near-five-year high of $48.17 billion to $43.56 billion largely reflected subdued business in Asian export-heavy economies that celebrated their new year.

>The longstanding and enormous U.S. merchandise trade deficit with China, for example, plunged by 26.64 percent sequentially in February – from $31.30 billion to $22.97 billion. U.S. goods exports to the still strongly growing Chinese economy decreased by 2.72 percent, but American goods imports were down by 20.82 percent.

>Similarly, the merchandise shortfall with Japan fell by 14.64 percent on month in February, from $5.47 billion to $4.67 billion. U.S. goods exports actually grew (by 3.38 percent) but merchandise imports shrank by a great 6.02 percent.

>In addition, in February the goods trade gap with free trade agreement partner Korea nosedived by almost half – from $2.59 billion to $1.30 billion. U.S. merchandise exports to Korea climbed by 6.06 percent, but the much greater amount of imports was off by 18.21 percent.

>The smaller Asia deficits also showed up in February’s manufacturing and high tech goods trade flows.

>America’s chronic and huge manufacturing trade deficit slid by 19.88 percent, from $75.54 billion to $60.52 billion. Manufactures exports inched up by 0.87 percent, but imports were down 9.07 percent.

>In high tech goods, the U.S. shortfall cratered by 46.39 percent, from $8.46 billion to $4.54 billion. Exports of these products decreased by 2.57 percent, to reach their lowest level since last February ($25.57 billion), but imports dropped by 13.31 percent, to $29.93 billion – their lowest level since February, 2015 ($28.80 billion).

>February saw America’s total exports grow by only 0.19 percent, but that was enough to achieve their highest total ($192.87 billion) since February, 2014 ($197.46 billion).

>Goods exports in February advanced modestly, too (by 0.27 percent on month), but that gain resulted in their best monthly performance since April, 2015 ($128.97 billion).

>Meanwhile, in February the total trade deficit, the goods deficit, total imports, and goods imports fell by their biggest monthly drops since last March – though the latest declines themselves were considerably smaller.

>The 9.58 percent February decrease in the combined goods and services shortfall compares with last March’s 18.27 percent.

>The 6.56 percent February shrinkage of the goods deficit compares with last March’s 12.14 percent decline.

>The 1.77 percent February decline in total imports compares with last March’s 4.65 percent.

>And the 2.13 February percent fall-off in goods imports compares with last March’s 5.59 percent.

>President Trump’s administration has charged Germany with racking up excessive trade surpluses due to currency manipulation and other protectionist practices, but in February, Germany’s merchandise trade surplus with the United States dropped for the fourth straight month. In fact, the $4.44 billion total was the lowest since January, 2013’s $3.93 billion.

>Also down in February was the inflation-adjusted U.S. non-oil goods deficit. These trade flows – which are heavily influenced by American trade agreements and similar policies – are decidedly Made in Washington, and throughout the current economic recovery, they have dragged on feeble U.S. growth. As of year-end, 2016, their increase had slowed cumulative recovery growth by 17.64 percent, or $433.43 billion.

>Calculating the growth drag for the first quarter of 2017 will require a release of first quarter GDP figures – which are scheduled for later this month. But if the Made in Washington deficit continues to shrink, trade could well wind up making a rare net contribution to the expansion.

(What’s Left of) Our Economy: New GDP Figures Reveal Record, Growth-Killing Jump in Real Trade Deficit in Late-2016

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exports, GDP, goods, Great Recession, gross domestic product, growth, imports, inflation-adjusted growth, Made in Washington trade deficit, non-oil goods trade deficit, real GDP, real trade deficit, recovery, services, trade deficit, {What's Left of) Our Economy

The government’s third and final (for now) figures for fourth quarter and full-year 2016 gross domestic product (GDP) revealed that the U.S. real trade deficit recorded its biggest quarterly increase since these figures have been tracked (15.86 percent). Worse, trade took its greatest absolute toll on inflation-adjusted quarterly growth (1.82 percent out of a 2.06 percent annualized increase) since the second quarter of 2004 (1.84 percent out of a 2.93 percent annualized increase).

The new GDP report also showed that, from quarter to quarter, the cumulative trade drag on the current, feeble American recovery rose from 6.57 percent to 9.71 percent. Separate Census figures show that, through 2016, the growth of the Made in Washington trade shortfall (which strips out energy and services) slowed growth by almost twice as much (17.64 percent).

The record fourth quarter real trade deficit per se was revised up from a record $599.6 billion annualized to $605 billion – and remained the biggest such gap since the first quarter of 2008, in the aftermath of the recession’ onset. Meanwhile, the annual 2016 trade deficit was revised up from $561.6 billion to $563 billion – the highest total since 2007.

Quarterly services exports after inflation were revised down from a record $685.5 billion annualized to a non-record $683.8 billion, but the import figure was revised up to set a new record – $485.1 billion annualized. Quarterly total imports and goods import totals were revised up from newly set records – to $2.7424 trillion and $2.2549 trillion annualized, respectively.

All annual real import categories saw previously reported annual record totals revised higher. Annual combined goods and services exports remained at all-time highs, but were revised down slightly to $2.1282 trillion annualized. All annual import categories, which set new quarterly records in late 2016, saw those numbers revised higher – to $2.6912 trillion for combined goods and services imports; to $2.2101 trillion for goods imports; and to $478.7 billion for services imports.

Here are the trade highlights from this morning’s GDP report:

>The new and final (pending the next benchmark revision) fourth quarter and full-year 2016 GDP report made clear that the end of last year saw an even worse American trade performance – dominated by the wrong kinds of records and multi-year worsts – than reported in the previous estimate. And the main victim was the U.S. economy and its still-feeble recovery.

>The sequential jump in the inflation-adjusted trade deficit was revised upward from 14.82 percent to 15.86 percent – the worst such deterioration since the Commerce Department began presenting this figure in 1999.

>As a result, the bite taken by the real trade deficit’s latest sequential growth (1.82 percentage points out of a 2.06 percent annualized real expansion) was the biggest in absolute terms since the second quarter of 2004, when trade subtracted 1.84 percentage points from annualized growth of 2.93 percent.

>The new figures mean that as of the end of 2016, trade had reduced the U.S. economy’s real cumulative growth during the current recovery by 9.71 percent, or $238.7 billion. As of the end of the third quarter, the drag was 6.57 percent.

>Separate figures from the Census Bureau show much greater damage has been inflicted on the economy by a different set of U.S. trade flows – constant-dollar imports and exports minus energy and services, which have not been significantly affected by American trade agreements and similar policy decisions. The rapid growth of the inflation-adjusted American trade deficit stripping out these two sectors – which has been Made in Washington – has slowed cumulative U.S. growth during this recovery by fully 17.64 percent, or $433.43 billion.

>The fourth quarter after-inflation trade deficit was revised up from $599.6 billion annualized to $605 billion – still the highest such total since the first quarter of 2008 ($623.7 billion), shortly after the Great Recession began.

>The full-year 2016 trade deficit was revised up from $561.6 billion after inflation to $563 billion. That represented the highest annual real trade deficit since 2007 ($712.6 billion) – the last pre-recession year – and a 3.68 percent rise from 2015’s $540 billion.

>This morning’s trade figures showed that one real export record reported in the previous GDP estimate is now gone: Quarterly price-adjusted services exports were revised down from $685.5 billion to $683.8 billion – still the third best total on record.

>Unfortunately, after-inflation services imports hit their own new all-time high, as their fourth quarter total was revised up from $483.9 billion annualized to $485.1 billion.

>New quarterly records reported in the previous estimate for two import categories – total imports and goods imports – were both revised even higher this morning. The former total increased from $2.7935 trillion annualized to $2.7424 trillion, while the latter were upgraded from $2.2533 trillion annualized to $2.2549 trillion.

>Annually, inflation-adjusted 2016 goods and services exports remained at a record, as reported in the previous GDP estimate. But the figure was revised down slightly from $2.1399 trillion to $2.1282 trillion. As a result, the annual increase is now 0.36 percent.

>New records were augmented in all import categories. Combined goods and services imports were judged this morning to be $2.6912 trillion instead of $2.6901 trillion. As a result, the 2016 annual increase was 1.15 percent.

>Real goods imports in 2016 were revised up from $2.2097 trillion to $2.2101 trillion. As a result, the annual increase was 0.73 percent.

>Real services imports last year are now pegged at $478.7 billion, not $478.3 billion. As a result, the annual increase was 3.08 percent.

>Estimates were also raised for the real trade deficit’s share of the economy. Previously estimated at 3.57 percent of real GDP for the fourth quarter, the new figure is now 3.60 percent. That’s the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2008 (3.64 percent).

>For all of 2016, the real trade deficit is now judged to be 3.38 percent instead of 3.37 percent. That’s the highest level since 2008 (3.76 percent).

(What’s Left of) Our Economy: A Comeback for the U.S. Trade Deficit – & Most (but not all!) of the Usual Suspects

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Canada, China, energy, exports, GDP, Germany, gross domestic product, high tech goods, imports, Korea, Made in Washington trade deficit, manufactures, Mexico, NAFTA, non-oil goods deficit, North American Free Trade Agreement, oil, recovery, Trade, trade deficit, Trump, {What's Left of) Our Economy

America’s goods and services trade deficit recorded a near-double-digit sequential increase in January to hit $48.49 billion. That monthly total was the highest since March, 2012’s $50.22 billion. Combined goods and services exports inched up sequentially to $192.04 billion – their best performance since December, 2014’s $197.46 billion. But total imports grew some four times faster, to $240.59 billion. That total also was the highest since December, 2014 ($241.21 billion).

America’s pre-inflation oil trade deficit spurred much of the total trade gap’s January rise, soaring by nearly 25 percent sequentially to $7.56 billion – the highest level since July, 2015’s $8.01 billion. An 18.37 percent surge in imports to $16.87 billion, the highest total since January, 2015’s $19.63 billion produced much of this result. But the huge, chronic U.S. manufacturing trade deficit also shot up in January – from $69.52 billion to $75.54 billion. And following a record December monthly plunge in its volatile trade balance, the shortfall in high tech goods more than doubled in January, to $8.46 billion.

The massive and longstanding American merchandise deficit with China rebounded by nearly 13 percent in January from a nine-month low to reach $31.30 billion. The main culprit – the biggest decrease in monthly goods exports to China (13.37 percent) since last January’s 18.87 percent plunge. The goods gap with NAFTA partner Canada jumped by more than 68 percent on month, to $3.62 billion. And the merchandise deficit with free trade partner Korea more than doubled, from a nearly two-year low, to $2.59 billion. Yet the U.S. merchandise deficit with Germany — whose big global surpluses have just been targeted by the Trump administration — hit its lowest level ($4.88 billion) since last February ($4.51 billion), and that with Mexico shrank by just over 10 percent, to $3.95 billion. That was its lowest level since July, 2015 ($3.71 billion).

Most troubling, however, the Made in Washington trade deficit – the gap in goods other than oil that is heavily affected by U.S. trade policy – rose by more than five percent on month to hit $61.43 billion. That total, the highest since March, 2015’s $61.90 billion, signals that the trade drag on the already sluggish current American economic recovery will increase further in the first quarter of this year.

Here are selected highlights of the latest monthly (January) trade balance figures released this morning by the Census Bureau:

>In January, the U.S. trade deficit hit $48.49 billion – its highest monthly level since March, 2012’s $50.22 billion.

>The January total represented a 9.56 percent increase over the December total, which was adjusted only fractionally downward, to $44.26 billion.

>Combined goods and services exports of $192.09 billion represented a 0.56 percent increase over the upwardly revised December figure of $191.01 billion – and the highest monthly result since December, 2014’s $197.46 billion total.

>But combined goods and services imports grew by 2.26 percent in January, from an upwardly revised December level of $225.27 billion to $240.59 billion. That total was also the highest since December, 2014 ($241.21 billion).

>Much of the January trade deficit increase resulted from a 24.72 percent monthly pop in the current-dollar U.S. oil trade deficit. The $7.56 billion total was the highest since July, 2015’s $8.01 billion.

>Pre-inflation oil exports increased by 13.68 percent on month in January, from $8.20 billion to $9.32 billion. But imports surged by 18.37 percent – from $14.26 billion to $16.87 billion. That was their highest total since January, 2015’s $19.63 billion.

>But January’s poor U.S. trade performance was also fueled by an 8.66 percent increase in the massive and chronic manufacturing trade gap, from $69.52 billion to $755.54 billion.

>Manufactures exports sank by 7.02 percent sequentially in January, from $89.36 billion to $83.09 billion. But manufactures imports dipped by only 0.16 percent, from $158.88 billion to $158.62 billion.

>Within manufacturing, the high tech goods deficit worsened dramatically in January, as the monthly shortfall rebounded from a record (71.78 percent) sequential drop in December, to $3.82 billion, to $8.46 billion – i.e., a more-than-doubling.

>U.S. high tech goods exports plummeted in January by 18.93 percent – from $32.18 billion in December to $26.06 billion. Imports, however, declined by only 4.11 percent, from $36.00 billion to $34.52 billion.

>The wider January trade deficits in manufacturing and high tech goods were no doubt linked to the 12.78 percent increase in the American merchandise trade shortfall with China – from $27.76 billion in December (the lowest such figure since last April’s $24.31 billion) to $31.30 billion.

>U.S. goods exports to China fell by 13.37 percent on month in January – from $11.63 billion to $10.07 billion. That was the biggest sequential decrease since last January’s 18.87 percent. U.S. goods imports from China hit $41.38 billion – a 5.07 percent rise from December’s $39.38 billion.

>America’s merchandise deficit with Canada skyrocketed in January by 68.37 percent, from $2.15 billion in December to $3.62 billion. U.S. goods exports to this North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partner fell 2.35 percent on month, but imports advanced by 4.17 percent.

>The goods deficit with bilateral free trade partner Korea more than doubled in January, from $1.20 billion (the lowest such total since February, 2014’s $1.08 billion) to $2.59 billion. America’s merchandise exports to Korea ticked up by 0.27 percent on month, but its merchandise imports were up 8.91 percent.

>Since the bilateral trade deal went into effect in March, 2012, the U.S. merchandise deficit with Korea has roughly quintupled on a monthly basis.

>By contrast, even though the Trump administration has recently criticized Germany’s burgeoning global trade surpluses, the American merchandise deficit with that country actually shrank on month by 8.72 percent to $4.88 billion.  That was its lowest level since February, 2014 ($4.51 billion).

>Similarly, the United States’ merchandise deficit with its other NAFTA partner, Mexico, fell by 10.13 percent, from $4.39 billion to $3.95 billion. That’s its lowest level since July, 2015 ($3.71 billion).

>At the same time, the 5.21 percent monthly rise in the January real non-oil U.S. goods deficit of $61.43 billion – the biggest such total since March, 2015’s $61.90 billion – spells trouble for American economic growth in the first quarter of this year. This Made in Washington deficit – which strips out areas like energy and services, which are only slightly impacted by American trade policies – influences the most closely followed gross domestic product figures, which are inflation-adjusted.

>Although the final fourth quarter 2016 results are not yet available, preliminary figures so far show that the strong growth of this policy-shaped trade deficit has slowed the cumulative pace of the nation’s historically weak economic recovery by fully 20.56 percent – or $434.78 billion.

(What’s Left of) Our Economy: No News isn’t Good News on Trade and U.S. Economic Growth

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exports, GDP, goods, gross domestic product, imports, inflation, Made in Washington trade deficit, non-oil goods deficit, real GDP, real trade deficit, recovery, services, Trade, trade deficit, {What's Left of) Our Economy

The government’s second figures for fourth quarter and full-year 2016 gross domestic product (GDP) confirmed the dismal trade results reported in last month’s initial reading. The real annualized trade deficit still recorded its biggest relatively quarterly jump (14.82 percent) since the second quarter of 2010 (14.90 percent). Consequently, as reported in the advance release, the cumulative trade drag on the current weak U.S. economic recovery shot up from 6.57 percent to 10.13 percent.

Trade’s absolute bite from annualized quarterly real growth remained the biggest (1.70 percentage points from 1.84 percent annualized growth) since the second quarter of 2010 (1.77 percentage points from 3.86 percent annualized growth) – though it dipped in absolute terms. On an annual basis, though, the trade drag on constant-dollar American growth still came in much lower than in 2015 – falling from 0.71 percentage points out of a 2.60 percent improvement o 0.12 percentage points out of a 1.60 percent uptick.

The fourth quarter price-adjusted annualized trade deficit stayed at $599.6 billion – still the biggest since the $623.7 billion mark of the first quarter of 2008. The annual real trade shortfall of $561.6 billion was unrevised, too, and remained the greatest since 2007’s $712.6 billion. Both previous peaks were reached as the Great Recession was breaking out.

The new GDP figures revealed new real export records for services ($685.5 billion annualized) on a quarterly basis and for combined goods and services exports ($2.1288 trillion) on an annual basis. Both results were upgraded fractionally. New records also remained in place for quarterly overall imports ($2.7395 trillion annualized – a slight upward revision), and quarterly goods imports ($2.2533 trillion annualized – a small downgrade). The same was true for annual overall imports (revised up slightly to $2.6904 trillion), goods imports (downgraded fractionally to $2.2097 trillion), and services imports (upgraded to $478.3 billion).

Here are the trade highlights from this morning’s GDP report:

>On the trade front, no news was anything but good news in the U.S. government’s second reading for fourth quarter and full-year 2016 inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) growth. The new release confirmed last month’s advance report showing that a major jump in the quarterly real trade deficit greatly boosted trade’s drag on the nation’s already feeble economic recovery.

>The revised GDP numbers revealed that the inflation-adjusted trade deficit for goods and services for the fourth quarter stayed at $599.6 billion at an annual rate, which still represented a 14.82 percent on quarter surge, from $522.2 billion. Moreover, this largest sequential percentage increase since the second quarter of 2010 (14.90 percent) kept the trade bite from quarterly growth (1.70 percentage points out of a 1.84 percent annualized real GDP increase) as the deepest since that second quarter of 2010 (1.77 percentage points out of 3.86 percent annualized growth). And since the overall after-inflation sequential GDP improvement was revised down slightly from 1.86 percent, the trade drag worsened slightly.

>In consequence, the new figures showed that the trade subtraction from cumulative real GDP growth during this historically feeble American economic recovery still rose from 6.57 percent to 10.13 percent sequentially.

>The rise in the Made in Washington U.S. trade deficit has slashed recovery-era growth to a much greater extent. This gauge measures trade flows heavily influenced by U.S. trade policies – of goods excluding oil (which doesn’t tend to come up in trade negotiations and where American net imports have dropped dramatically) and services (where trade liberalization remains limited).

>The latest full-year 2016 figures show that this Made in Washington shortfall has cut cumulative inflation-adjusted growth during the recovery by 18.86 percent, or $461.78 billion.

>On an annual basis, however, the GDP report left unrevised a drop in the trade drag on growth – from 0.71 percentage points from 2.60 percent inflation-adjusted growth in 2015 to 0.12 points out of a 1.60 percent real GDP increase last year.

>The real trade deficit also grew in 2016 at a much slower pace (four percent) than in the fourth quarter. Nonetheless, at the same $561.6 billion level, it remained the greatest annual price-adjusted trade gap since 2007 ($712.6 billion).

>The new GDP report confirmed its predecessor’s finding that the real trade deficit also rose proportionately in the fourth quarter of 2016 – to its highest share of after-inflation GDP (3.57 percent) since the fourth quarter of 2008 (3.64 percent).

>Similarly, today’s GDP numbers reiterated the rise in the full-year 2016 constant-dollar trade gap as a share of real GDP to its highest level (3.37 percent) since 2008 (3.76 percent).

>As a result, the real trade deficit’s absolute sequential increase in the fourth quarter of 2016 ($77.4 billion) stayed the strongest such rise since these figures began being tabulated by the Commerce Department in 1999.

>The new GDP figures slightly upgraded fourth quarter services exports – from a record $685.4 billion to $685.5 billion. The sequential rate of increase inched up from 0.22 percent to 0.23 percent.

>The annual combined goods and services exports figure was upgraded a bit, too – from $2.1284 trillion (another all-time high) to $2.1288 trillion. And the 2016 rate of increase came in at 0.39 percent, rather than 0.37 percent.

>Yet the slew of import records reported in the advance GDP estimate rose fractionally as well.

>In the fourth quarter, overall imports are now estimated to have hit $2.7395 trillion annualized, as opposed to $2.7380 trillion. That 2.06 percent increase slightly exceeds the two percent figure reported previously.

>As for fourth quarter price-adjusted goods imports, where the advance report pegged them at a record $2.2548 trillion annualized (up 2.62 percent), the revised figures are $2.2533 trillion (still an all-time high) and 2.55 percent, respectively. 

>During full-year 2016, overall real imports were initially reported at $2.6901 trillion – up 1.11 percent on year. Both numbers were revised slightly higher – to $2.6904 trillion and 1.12 percent, respectively.

>Real goods imports numbers for full-year 2016, however, were downgraded a bit. Originally reported at $2.2101 trillion, or up 0.73 percent over 2015 levels, they are now judged to have been $2.2097 trillion – reflecting a 0.71 percent rise.

>Upward revisions were more substantial for inflation-adjusted services imports in 2016. Rather than rising 2.84 percent on year, to $477.6 billion, they are now estimated to have grown by 2.99 percent, to a new record $478.3 billion.

(What’s Left of) Our Economy: New Trade Figures Full of (Odd) Surprises & (Mainly Dubious) Records

Tags

Census Bureau, China, currency, exports, Germany, high tech goods, imports, inflation-adjusted growth, Japan, Korea, Made in Washington trade deficit, manufacturing, Mexico, non-oil goods trade deficit, recovery, Trade, trade deficit, Trump, {What's Left of) Our Economy

America’s goods and services trade deficit decreased 3.21 percent in nominal terms on month in December – even though inflation appears to be rising and the fourth quarter real deficit rose at its fastest rate (14.82 percent) since early 2010. In fact, in pre-inflation terms, the quarterly deficit was up only 12.95 percent sequentially. In addition, despite a slowdown in U.S. economic growth, the overall trade deficit edged up on-year by 0.38 percent, to $500.25 billion. In 2016, both combined and goods imports both recorded their first consecutive annual decreases since the current Census historical series begins (1960). In addition, both categories of exports fell in 2016 for the second straight year for the first time since 2002.

December combined goods and services exports rose to their highest level since January, 2015, but total imports hit a post-March, 2015 high. Fueling much of the December sequential improvement was a double-digit drop in the huge and chronic manufacturing trade deficit, and the biggest all-time fall in the volatile high tech goods shortfall (71.78 percent) that was generated largely by the sector’s best-ever monthly exports ($32.18 billion). The goods deficit was down 1.64 percent on year, but the long-time surplus the nation has run in services trade decreased by 5.48 percent – its first such fall since 2003.

Trade with countries possibly targeted by President Trump for new negotiations or unilateral U.S. tariffs turned in a mixed 2016 performance, as American goods deficits rose slightly with Mexico and Japan, and fell with China and Germany. But all these imbalances remained at lofty levels historically. The monthly shortfall with free trade partner Korea, however, hit its lowest level since February, 2014. Nonetheless, the December figures revealed a dramatic rise in the trade drag on America’s sluggish economic recovery.

Most troubling, as of year-end 2016, the Made in Washington deficit had reduced cumulative inflation-adjusted growth during the recovery by 20.56 percent, or $434.78 billion.

Here are selected highlights of the latest monthly (December) and full-year trade balance figures released this morning by the Census Bureau:

>A monthly 3.21 percent drop in the December goods and services trade deficit led off a series of surprises produced by the new monthly U.S. trade figures – which also presented the first full-year results for 2016.

>The December sequential decrease – to $44.26 billion from an upwardly revised $45.73 billion November level – yielded a rise in the nominal fourth quarter 2016 trade gap of 12.95 percent. That’s less than the 14.82 percent surge in the real trade deficit in that fourth quarter reported in the latest gross domestic product figures – even though inflation in the United States appears to be heating up.

>Also puzzling in the new trade figures – the annual increase of the combined goods and services shortfall (albeit by only 0.38 percent, to $500.25 billion) despite a slowing overall economy.

>The new records and multi-year highs and lows revealed in this morning’s trade figures start on the import side. Both combined imports and goods imports fell in 2016 for the second straight year. Such declines have not been seen since 1960 – when the Census Bureau’s current historical statistics series begins.

>The former reached $2.712 trillion in 2016 – the lowest such level since 2011 ($2.676 trillion). The latter reached $2.210 trillion – also the lowest such level since that year ($2.240 trillion).

>Combined exports also fell for the second straight year in 2016 – by 2.34 percent – and totaled $2.209 trillion. The last time such a back-to-back decline was experienced was in 2002. And the 2016 level was the lowest since 2011 ($2.127 trillion).

>Goods exports on an annual basis fell consecutively for the first time since 2011 as well. In 2016, they were off by 3.31 percent, and hit $1.460 trillion. That’s the lowest such level since 2011 as well ($1.499 trillion).

>Meanwhile, the slight deterioration in the annual overall 2016 trade deficit resulted largely from an unusual source – the first drop in the services trade surplus (by 5.48 percent, to $247.82 billion) since 2003.

>In 2016, services exports dipped by 0.17 percent, to $749.58 billion. But the drop was the sector’s first since 2009. Services imports, meanwhile, hit an all-time high of $501.75 billion – up 2.68 percent from 2015 levels.

>The goods deficit in 2016 fell for the first time since 2013 – by 1.64 percent, to $750.07 billion.

>Total exports increased in December on a monthly basis by 2.71 percent, from a downwardly adjusted $185.65 billion to $190.69 billion. That’s the best total since January, 2015’s $191.97 billion.

>Total imports rose more slowly – by 1.54 percent, to $234.95 billion from an upwardly adjusted $231.38 billion. But that total was the highest since March, 2015’s $238.64 billion.

>Fueling much of the December monthly improvement was the biggest monthly drop in America’s volatile high tech goods deficit on record – a 71.78 percent plunge from $13.53 billion to $3.82 billion.

>High tech goods exports shot up sequentially by 15.80 percent to a monthly all-time high of $32.18 billion. Imports were off by 12.87 billion on month, to just over $36 billion.

>The broader manufacturing sector enjoyed a good December, too. The monthly deficit fell from a record $80.75 billion in November to $69.52 billion – an improvement of 13.91 percent.

>Even better, the manufacturing trade gap shrank because imports fell on month in December by 4.71 percent and exports advanced by 3.91 percent.

>On year, however, manufacturing’s trade performance deteriorated again. The annual trade deficit rose by another 3.25 percent to $861.82 billion – its latest annual record.

>Manufacturing exports declined by 4.71 percent, to $1.051 trillion, but imports were off only 1.71 percent, to $1.913 trillion.

>U.S. trade partners who have attracted the ire of President Trump could take some solace from this morning’s trade figures.

>The longstanding and enormous U.S. goods trade deficit with China fell by 5.48 percent on year, from $367.13 billion to $347.04 billion. Both U.S. merchandise imports from and exports to the still strongly growing Chinese economy decreased on annual basis – by 4.23 percent and 0.26 percent, respectively.

>The merchandise trade shortfall with Germany – whose currency policies, like China’s, have been criticized by the Trump administration – was down as well on year, by an even greater 13.34 percent, from $74.85 billion to $64.87 billion. U.S. goods exports to Germany slipped by 1.22 percent but goods imports sank by 8.49 percent.

>>The decline in the U.S. goods trade deficit with Korea, with which a free trade agreement went into effect in 2012, was 2.29 percent, from $28.31 billion to $27.67 billion. This total was still the second highest on record. Both U.S. goods exports to and imports from Korea decreased – by 2.71 percent and 2.55 percent, respectively.

>Some of the improvement in Korea trade resulted from the nearly 50 percent monthly plummet in the December goods gap. The $1.20 billion figure was the lowest since February, 2014’s $1.08 billion.

>Yet the merchandise trade gap with Mexico rose – by 4.17 percent, from $60.66 billion to $63.19 billion. U.S. goods exports – many of which are intermediate goods that are re-imported as final products – inched down by 2.03 percent while imports were down by only 0.76 percent.

>America’s merchandise trade deficit with Japan climbed fractionally, to $68.94 billion in 2016, as goods exports advanced by 1.32 percent and the much greater volume of goods imports grew by 0.64 percent.

>Unfortunately, the new trade data showed that trade’s drag on the U.S. economy increased significantly in 2016. In particular, the inflation-adjusted increase in the Made in Washington deficit (the non-oil goods deficit) since the current recovery began in mid-2009 has cut cumulative inflation-adjusted growth during this sluggish expansion by fully 20.56 percent. That translates into $434.78 billion of real output lost because of America’s trade performance in those areas most heavily affected by trade deals and related policies.