US Latest Deficit Figure And Its Major Export Countries ...

The major US exporters this year are China, India, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea and the rest of the Emerging Market from Latin America and Asia.

The trade deficit in the U.S. shrank more than forecast in October as a weaker dollar and growing economies overseas propelled exports to a two-year high.

The gap narrowed 13 percent to $38.7 billion, less than the lowest estimate of 78 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News and the smallest since January, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. Exports were the strongest since August 2008 as Mexico and China bought record amounts of U.S. products.

China, Brazil and South Korea are among the top-10 buyers of American-made goods. Imports stagnated in October as U.S. demand for crude oil plunged, an outcome that may prove to be temporary as the world’s largest economy picks up.

The trade gap was projected to be little-changed at $43.8 billion from an initially reported $44 billion in September, according to the median forecast of economists surveyed. Estimates ranged from deficits of $39.5 billion to $46.6 billion. The Commerce Department revised the September shortfall up to $44.6 billion.
After eliminating the influence of prices, which are the numbers used to calculate gross domestic product, the trade deficit fell to $45.2 billion, the lowest since April, from $50.3 billion. The figure was smaller than the third-quarter average, indicating trade will contribute to growth this quarter.

Sales Overseas
Exports increased 3.2 percent to $158.7 billion, boosted by sales of foods, automobiles, engines and industrial supplies like fuel oil and natural gas.
Growing overseas economies are also contributing to demand for U.S. goods. China, set to become the world’s second-largest economy this year, had a 9.6 percent gain in third-quarter gross domestic product from a year ago. Singapore, in the running to be the world’s fastest-growing economy this year, expanded 10.6 percent while Brazil, South America’s biggest economy, grew 6.7 percent.

Manufacturers Benefit
General Dynamics, based in Falls Church, Virginia, is seeing “strong international order activity and interest, particularly in the emerging markets,” Chief Executive Officer Jay Johnson said in a Dec. 2 industry conference presentation.
St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M, the maker of Scotch tape and films to brighten television screens, is expanding in emerging markets, which make up one-third of its sales and may climb to as much as 45 percent by 2015, according to company estimates.
“These opportunities continue to grow,” George W. Buckley, chief executive officer, said in a Dec. 7 conference call. Overseas sales will benefit from “India and Latin America, gathering momentum in sort of China-like style.”

Less Crude Oil
Imports fell 0.5 percent to $197.4 billion from $198.4 billion in the prior month. The value of crude oil purchases fell to $18.9 billion from $21 billion in September as the lowest volume since February swamped an increase in the fuel’s cost.
The trade gap with China shrank to $25.5 billion from $27.8 billion.
Improving U.S. demand and the need to restock inventories led to gains in imports that swamped the rise in exports over the past two quarters. A widening deficit subtracted 1.76 percentage points from GDP in the third quarter as the economy expanded at a 2.5 percent annual rate.

(Source : Bloomberg)