                       United States Department
                           of COMMERCE NEWS
                        Washington, D.C. 20230

                               ECONOMICS
                                  AND
                               STATISTICS
                             ADMINISTRATION
                              ------------
                          Bureau of the Census
                      Bureau of Economic Analysis
                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                             
                                                                                       
This release contains sensitive economic
data not to be released before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday,
February 21, 2001                                
                                
CB-01-31 Press Copy 
FT-900 (00-12)

For information on goods contact:
Bureau of the Census:
Haydn R. Mearkle  (301) 457-2246 
Nick Orsini       (301) 457-2311

For information on services contact:
Bureau of Economic Analysis:
Technical:  Christopher Bach (202) 606-9545
Media:      Larry Moran      (202) 606-2649


          U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES
                          December 2000

Goods and Services

The Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the
Department of Commerce, announced today that total December exports of
$89.8 billion and imports of $122.8 billion resulted in a goods and services
deficit of $33.0 billion, $0.1 billion less than the $33.1 billion in
November, revised.  December exports were $0.7 billion less than November
exports of $90.6 billion.  December imports were $0.9 billion less than
November imports of $123.7 billion.  

In December, the goods deficit increased $0.1 billion from November to
$39.2 billion, and the services surplus increased $0.2 billion to $6.2
billion.  Exports of goods decreased to $64.9 billion from $65.8 billion,
and imports of goods decreased to $104.1 billion from $105.0 billion. 
Exports of services increased to $24.9 billion from $24.7 billion, and
imports of services were virtually unchanged at $18.7 billion.

Goods
     
The November to December change in exports of goods reflected decreases in
industrial supplies and materials ($0.6 billion); capital goods ($0.6
billion); and other goods ($0.1 billion).  Increases occurred in consumer
goods ($0.2 billion) and foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.1 billion). 
Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines were virtually unchanged.
 
The November to December change in imports of goods reflected decreases in
automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($1.4 billion); consumer goods
($0.7 billion); other goods ($0.2 billion); and foods, feeds, and beverages
($0.2 billion).  Increases occurred in industrial supplies and materials
($1.5 billion) and capital goods ($0.2 billion).
                                        
Services
     
Services exports increased $0.2 billion from November to December.  The
increase was more than accounted for by increases in other private services
(which includes items such as financial services and business, professional,
and technical services) and travel.  Changes in the other categories of
services exports were small.

Services imports in December were virtually the same as in November.  An
increase in travel was offset by a decrease in other transportation.
Changes in the other categories of services imports were small and
offsetting.

Goods and Services Moving Average 

For the three months ending in December, exports of goods and services
averaged $90.5 billion, while imports of goods and services averaged $123.7
billion, resulting in an average trade deficit of $33.2 billion.  For the
three months ending in November, the average trade deficit was $33.5
billion, reflecting average exports of $91.4 billion and average imports of
$124.9 billion.

Selected Not Seasonally Adjusted Goods Details 

The December figures showed surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Hong Kong
$0.6 (for November $0.4), Australia $0.5 ($0.4), Brazil $0.3 ($0.3), Egypt
$0.2 ($0.1), and Argentina $0.1 ($0.2).  Deficits were recorded, in  billions
of dollars, with China -$6.1 (-$7.6), Japan -$6.1 (-$6.8), Canada -$5.7
(-$4.5), OPEC -$4.3 (-$3.8), Western Europe -$3.6 (-$5.5), Korea -$1.3
(-$1.5), Taiwan -$1.2 (-$1.7), Mexico -$1.2 (-$2.0), and Singapore $0.0
(-$0.2).

Advanced technology products (ATP) exports were $21.0 billion in December
and imports were $19.5 billion, resulting in a surplus of $1.5 billion. 
December exports were $1.5 billion more than the $19.6 billion in November,
while imports were $0.8 billion less than the $20.3 billion in November.

Revisions
     
Goods carry-over in December was $0.5 billion (0.8 percent) for exports and
$1.4 billion (1.4 percent) for imports.  For November, revised export carry-
over was $0.3 billion (0.4 percent), revised down from $0.5 billion (0.7
percent).  For November, revised import carry-over was $0.2 billion (0.2
percent), revised down from $1.0 billion (0.9 percent).

The seasonally adjusted goods data for January through November were also
revised to align the seasonally adjusted months with the annual totals.

Services exports for November were virtually unrevised at $24.7 billion.
Services imports for November were also virtually unrevised at $18.7
billion. 

 


                                    NOTICE

Each month, the data for the previous month's total goods exports and total
goods exports to Canada are revised to reflect late receipts and corrections
received from Canada. As a result, the total value of exports and exports to
Canada are generally understated in the current month release.  In order to
reduce the magnitude of the revisions and to improve the quality of the
current month data, effective with January 2001 statistics, the FT-900 U.S.
International Trade in Goods and Services release will include an estimate
in the current month for the late receipts and corrections for Canada.  For
example, the January 2001 values for total exports and total exports to
Canada will include an estimate for the late receipts and corrections.  The
following month, this estimate will be replaced with the actual value of
late receipts and corrections.


                              Annual Summary for 2000

Goods and Services

For 2000, exports of $1,068.4 billion and imports of $1,438.1 billion
resulted in a goods and services deficit of $369.7 billion, $104.7
billion more than the 1999 deficit of $265.0 billion.  For goods, exports
were $773.3 billion and imports were $1,222.8 billion, resulting in a
goods deficit of $449.5 billion, $103.9 billion more than the 1999 deficit
of $345.6 billion.  For services, exports were $295.1 billion and imports
were $215.3 billion, resulting in a services  surplus of $79.8 billion,
$0.8 billion less than the 1999 surplus of $80.6 billion.

Goods (Census Basis)

For 2000, exports of goods were up $86.6 billion from 1999.  Increases
occurred in capital goods of $45.4 billion (primarily semiconductors,
computer accessories, industrial machines, telecommunications equipment,
and electric apparatus); industrial supplies and materials ($25.2 billion);
consumer goods ($8.4 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines
($4.2 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages ($2.3 billion) and other goods
($1.1 billion).

For 2000, imports of goods were up $192.1 billion from 1999.  Increases
occurred in industrial supplies and materials of $76.1 billion (primarily
crude petroleum); capital goods ($55.1 billion); consumer goods ($36.3
billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($16.9 billion); other
goods ($5.4 billion); and foods, feeds, and beverages ($2.4 billion).

Services

For 2000, exports of services were $295.1 billion, up $23.2 billion from
1999.  Increases occurred in travel ($10.3 billion); other private services,
which includes items such as financial services and business, professional,
and technical services ($9.0 billion); other transportation ($2.8 billion);
passenger fares ($1.6 billion); and royalties and license fees ($1.2 billion).
Transfers under U.S. military sales contracts decreased $1.7 billion.  U.S.
Government miscellaneous services were virtually unchanged.

For 2000, imports of services were $215.3 billion, up $24.0 billion from
1999.  Increases occurred in other transportation ($6.5 billion); travel
($6.4 billion); other private services ($5.8 billion); passenger fares ($2.9
billion); and royalties and license fees ($2.4 billion).  Direct defense
expenditures and U.S. Government miscellaneous services were virtually
unchanged.

For detailed descriptions of the types of transactions included in each of
the services categories, see "Information on Goods and Services" starting on
page 26 of this release.

                              Table of Contents

                                December 2000
 

Seasonally Adjusted

Exhibit 1 International Trade in Goods and Services. . . . . . .........4

Exhibit 2 Goods and Services Centered Three - Month Moving Averages.....5

Exhibit 3 U.S. Services by Major Category--Exports . . . . . ...........6

Exhibit 4 U.S. Services by Major Category--Imports . . . . . ...........7

Exhibit 5 U.S. Trade in Goods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...........8

Exhibit 6 Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal End-Use Category....9

Exhibit 7 Exports of Goods by End-Use Category and Commodity ..........10

Exhibit 8 Imports of Goods by End-Use Category and Commodity ..........12

Exhibit 9 Petroleum and Non-Petroleum End-Use Category Totals .........14

Exhibit 10 Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal End-Use
           Category (Constant Dollars) . . . . . . . ..................15

Exhibit 11 Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods, Petroleum and Non-
           Petroleum End-Use Commodity Category Totals
           (Constant Dollars)..........................................16

Not Seasonally Adjusted

Exhibit 12 U.S. Trade in Goods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........17

Exhibit 13 Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal
           End-Use Category............................................18


Exhibit 14 Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods by Selected  
           Countries and Areas   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........19

Exhibit 15 Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal SITC Commodity
           Groupings...................................................21

Exhibit 16 Exports, Imports, and Balance of Advanced Technology
           Products....................................................23

Exhibit 17 Imports of Energy - Related Petroleum Products, 
           Including Crude Petroleum . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........24

Exhibit 18 Exports and Imports of Motor Vehicles and Parts By
           Selected Countries..........................................25

Information on Goods and Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........26

SOURCE: Report FT900 (CB-01-31), Bureau of the Census, Foreign Trade
        Division, December 2000.  For more information, contact Haydn R. 
        Mearkle (301-457-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-457-2311), Foreign 
        Trade Division.           


                         



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