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


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8:30 A.M. EST THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2008

For information on goods contact:
For information on services contact:
U.S. Census Bureau:
Nick Orsini
301-763-6959
Maria Iseman
301-763-2311

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis:
Technical:  Christopher Bach
202-606-9545
Media:       Ralph Stewart
202-606-2649



CB08-166, BEA08-50, FT-900 (08-09)

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.
 



	TABLE OF CONTENTS
 

Seasonally Adjusted

Exhibit 1
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services
1

Exhibit 2
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Three-month Moving Averages
2

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

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

Exhibit 5
U.S. Trade in Goods
5

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

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

Exhibit 8
Imports of Goods by End-Use Category and Commodity
9

Exhibit 9
Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods, Petroleum and Non-Petroleum End-Use 
Category Totals
11

Exhibit 10
Real Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal End-Use Category (2000 Chain-
weighted dollars)
12

Exhibit 11
Real Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods, Petroleum and Non-Petroleum End-Use 
Commodity Category Totals (2000 Chain-weighted dollars)
13

Not Seasonally Adjusted

Exhibit 12
U.S. Trade in Goods
14

Exhibit 13
Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal End-Use Category
15

Exhibit 14
Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods by Selected Countries and Areas
16

Exhibit 15
Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal SITC Commodities
18

Exhibit 16
Exports, Imports, and Balance of Advanced Technology Products
20

Exhibit 16a
Exports, Imports, and Balance of Advanced Technology Products by Technology
Group and Selected Countries and Areas
21

Exhibit 17
Imports of Energy-Related Petroleum Products, Including Crude Oil
22

Exhibit 18
Exports and Imports of Motor Vehicles and Parts by Selected Countries
23

Information on Goods and Services
A-1

NOTICE

The U.S. Census Bureau will revise goods export data from January 2004 through December 2008 as a 
result of 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 Foreign 
Trade Division data products. Please note 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 Bureau's Data 
Dissemination Branch on (301) 763-2311 or at ftd.data.dissemination@census.gov. 





















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ii

NOTE:  Total goods data are reported on a Balance of Payments basis; commodity and country detail data for goods are on a Census basis.  For information on 
data sources and definitions, see the information section on page 27 of this release, or at www.census.gov/ft900 or www.bea.gov/bea/di/home/trade.htm.  
The next FT-900 release is April 11, 2008.








			


			



