Record U.S. Exports Shrink April Trade Deficit

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

The American trade deficit shrank unexpectedly in April after the United States sold $175.6 billion in goods and services overseas, the most exports on record, the government reported on Thursday.

The Department of Commerce report said that exports of goods were $126.4 billion and services $49.1 billion, while total imports were $219.2 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $43.7 billion, the lowest since December. The deficit in March was revised down to $46.8 billion from $48.2 billion, the department said.

The gap had been forecast by some economists to widen to $48.8 billion.

In recent months, a weaker dollar has made goods from the United States less expensive overseas, while exports have also climbed in price as demand rose in developing countries.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/business/economy/10econ.html

[fasttense]

1. That's what a sinking dollar will do for you. n/t

[dkf]

4. And that is why Germany can't dump the Euro.

They need their weak sisters to being down their currency. If they were by themselves the DM would be much too strong.

[Fuddnik]

2. We exported something besides jobs?

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Why not? We're now a low cost producer, given our falling wage base and falling currency

[pampango]

5. "greater sales of industrial supplies and materials, capital goods and consumer goods."

Good that exports set a new record. That's one of the goals Obama set. Good also demand is rising in developing countries. The more money they have the better for us and for them.

[MrTriumph]

6. And the weak dollar contributed to higher gasoline prices that may have

derailed the recovery.

More Bush era economics.