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                               U.S. Census Bureau
                        U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
                                     NEWS
                U.S. Department of Commerce * Washington, DC 20230

                U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES
                                September 2008


Goods and Services


The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department
of Commerce, announced today that total September exports of $155.4 billion and imports
of $211.9 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $56.5 billion, down from
$59.1 billion in August, revised.  September exports were $9.9 billion less than August
exports of $165.3 billion.  September imports were $12.5 billion less than August imports
of $224.4 billion.


In September, the goods deficit decreased $1.5 billion from August to $69.6 billion,
and the services surplus increased $1.1 billion to $13.1 billion.  Exports of goods
decreased $9.8 billion to $108.1 billion, and imports of goods decreased $11.3 billion
to $177.7 billion.  Exports of services decreased $0.1 billion to $47.3 billion, and
imports of services decreased $1.2 billion to $34.2 billion.

In September 2008, the goods and services deficit increased $1.0 billion from September
2007.  Exports were up $12.6 billion, or 8.8 percent, and imports were up $13.6 billion,
or 6.9 percent.


Goods


The August to September change in exports of goods reflected decreases in capital goods
($4.2 billion); industrial supplies and materials ($4.1 billion); foods, feeds, and
beverages ($1.1 billion); consumer goods ($0.5 billion); other goods ($0.4 billion); and
automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.1 billion).

The August to September change in imports of goods reflected decreases in industrial
supplies and materials ($8.1 billion); consumer goods ($3.4 billion); automotive vehicles,
parts, and engines ($0.7 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.2 billion); and other
goods ($0.1 billion).  An increase occurred in capital goods ($0.5 billion).

The September 2007 to September 2008 change in exports of goods reflected increases in
industrial supplies and materials ($5.7 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages ($1.0
billion); consumer goods ($0.9 billion); and other goods ($0.7 billion).  A decrease
occurred in automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.1 billion).  Capital goods were
virtually unchanged.

The September 2007 to September 2008 change in imports of goods reflected increases in
industrial supplies and materials ($12.2 billion); capital goods ($0.8 billion); consumer
goods ($0.8 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.6 billion); and other goods ($0.2
billion).  A decrease occurred in automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($3.5 billion).

Services

Services exports decreased $0.1 billion from August to September.  The decrease was more
than accounted for by decreases in travel, other transportation (which includes freight
and port services), and transfers under U.S. military sales contracts.  An increase in
other private services (which includes items such as business, professional, and technical
services, insurance services, and financial services) was partly offsetting.

Services imports decreased $1.2 billion from August to September.  The decrease was mostly
due to a $0.9 billion decrease in royalties and license fees, which had been boosted in
August by payments for the rights to broadcast the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.  Travel,
other transportation, and passenger fares also decreased and other private services
increased.

From September 2007 to September 2008, services exports increased $4.0 billion.  The largest
increases were in travel($1.4 billion), other private services ($0.9 billion), other
transportation ($0.8 billion), and passenger fares ($0.7 billion).

From September 2007 to September 2008, services imports increased $2.2 billion.  The largest
increases were in other transportation ($0.7 billion), other private services ($0.5 billion),
royalties and license fees ($0.3 billion), and travel ($0.3 billion).

Goods and Services Moving Average

For the three months ending in September, exports of goods and services averaged $162.9
billion, while imports of goods and services averaged $221.9 billion, resulting in an
average trade deficit of $59.0 billion.  For the three months ending in August, the
average trade deficit was $59.7 billion, reflecting average exports of $165.4 billion
and average imports of $225.1 billion.

Selected Not Seasonally Adjusted Goods Details

The September figures showed surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Hong Kong $1.7
($1.2 for August), Singapore $0.9 ($1.2), Australia $0.8 ($1.0), and Egypt $0.2 ($0.4).
Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with China $27.8 ($25.3), OPEC $13.4
($19.2), the European Union $8.3 ($6.8), Canada $7.8 ($7.5), Japan $5.6 ($4.8), Mexico
$4.9 ($5.9), Venezuela $3.5 ($4.6), Nigeria $2.2 ($3.4), Taiwan $1.4 ($1.1), and Korea
$1.0 ($0.7).

Advanced technology products (ATP) exports were $21.6 billion in September and imports
were $29.3 billion, resulting in a deficit of $7.8 billion.  September exports were $3.6
billion less than the $25.1 billion in August, while imports were $1.0 billion more
than the $28.3 billion in August.

Revisions

Goods carry-over in September was $0.9 billion (0.8 percent) for exports and $2.1 billion
(1.1 percent) for imports.  For August, revised export carry-over was $0.5 billion (0.4
percent), revised up from $0.3 billion (0.2 percent).  For August, revised import carry-over
was $1.2 billion (0.6 percent), revised down from $2.5 billion (1.3 percent).

Services exports for August were revised up $0.3 billion to $47.4 billion.  The revision
was mostly accounted for by an upward revision in travel.  Services imports for August
were revised up $0.1 billion to $35.4 billion.  The revision was more than accounted
for by an upward revision in travel.

NOTICE

The U.S. Census Bureau will revise goods export data from January 2004 through December
2008 as a result of additional analysis of the aircraft industry. In addition, the Census
Bureau will begin suppressing export data for certain 10-digit Schedule B commodity
classifications related to the aircraft industry with the release of the January 2009
merchandise trade report on March 13, 2009. To account for the suppression of commodity
detail, the Census Bureau will begin publishing a new commodity classification series
titled Civilian Aircraft, Engines, and Parts under Schedule B code 8800.00.0000.

The 2004  2008 historical revisions will be reflected in the FT-900 U.S. International
Trade in Goods and Services Annual Revision report to be released in June 2009, and in
all standard revised Census Bureaus Foreign Trade Division data products. Please note,
however, that not all Census Bureau publications or data products will be updated with
these revisions.  Information on revised data products is available at
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/notices/aircraft/products.html.

The suppression of commodity detail will impact all classification systems, including
End-use, Standard International Trade Classification System (SITC), North American
Industry Classification System (NAICS), and Advanced Technology Product (ATP). Several
exhibits in the FT-900 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Service and the FT-900
Supplement will be affected. The affected exhibits are:

FT-900
* Exhibit 15  Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal SITC Commodities
* Exhibit 16a  Exports, Imports, and Balance of Advanced Technology Products by
  Technology Group and Selected Countries and Areas

FT-900 Supplement
* Exhibit 1  Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods by Selected NAICS-Based Product Code
* Exhibit 4  Exports and Imports of Goods by SITC Commodity Sections

All exhibits will show the new classification codes. Visit our website for the complete
list of classification systems and codes affected at
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/notices/aircraft/codes.html.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Census
Bureaus Data Dissemination Branch on (301) 763-2311 or at ftd.data.dissemination@census.gov.