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 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

For information on goods contact:
For information on services contact:
U.S. Census Bureau:
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis:
Matthew Przybocki
301-763-3148
Technical:  Edward Dozier
202-606-9559
Maria Iseman
301-763-2311
Media:       Ralph Stewart
202-606-2649



CB13-25, BEA13-04, FT-900 (12-12)

U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES
December 2012


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 December exports of $186.4 billion 
and imports of $224.9 billion resulted in a goods and services 
deficit of $38.5 billion, down from $48.6 billion in November, 
revised.  December exports were $3.9 billion more than 
November exports of $182.5 billion.  December imports were 
$6.2 billion less than November imports of $231.1 billion.
    
    In December, the goods deficit decreased $9.4 billion 
from November to $56.2 billion, and the services surplus 
increased $0.7 billion from November to $17.7 billion.  
Exports of goods increased $3.3 billion to $132.6 billion, and 
imports of goods decreased $6.1 billion to $188.8 billion.  
Exports of services increased $0.6 billion to $53.8 billion, and 
imports of services decreased $0.1 billion to $36.1 billion.
    
    The goods and services deficit decreased $13.2 billion 
from December 2011 to December 2012.  Exports were up 
$8.6 billion, or 4.9 percent, and imports were down $4.6 
billion, or 2.0 percent.
    
Goods (Census Basis)
    
    The November to December increase in exports of goods 
reflected increases in industrial supplies and materials ($3.8 
billion); other goods ($0.3 billion); and foods, feeds, and 
beverages ($0.1 billion). Decreases occurred in capital goods 
($0.4 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.3 
billion); and consumer goods ($0.2 billion).
      
 
 

   The November to December decrease in imports of goods 
reflected decreases in industrial supplies and materials ($4.2 
billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0.9 billion); 
other goods ($0.6 billion); capital goods ($0.3 billion); and 
foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.1 billion).  Consumer goods 
were virtually unchanged.
   
   The December 2011 to December 2012 increase in exports 
of goods reflected increases in capital goods ($1.4 billion); 
industrial supplies and materials ($1.2 billion); other goods 
($0.8 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.5 billion); 
consumer goods ($0.3 billion); and automotive vehicles, parts, 
and engines ($0.2 billion).
   
   
   
   
   The December 2011 to December 2012 decrease in 
imports of goods reflected decreases in industrial supplies and 
materials ($7.7 billion) and other goods ($0.2 billion).  
Increases occurred in consumer goods ($1.9 billion); 
automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($1.3 billion); capital 
goods ($0.4 billion); and foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.1 
billion). 
    
Services

    Exports of services increased $0.6 billion from November 
to December.  The largest increases were in other 
transportation ($0.2 billion), which includes freight and port 
services, other private services ($0.1 billion), which includes 
items such as business, professional, and technical services, 
insurance services, and financial services, passenger fares 
($0.1 billion), and travel ($0.1 billion).  Changes in the other 
categories of services exports were relatively small.
    
	Imports of services decreased $0.1 billion from November 
to December.  Decreases in travel ($0.2 billion) and other 
transportation ($0.1 billion) were partly offset by increases in 
passenger fares ($0.1 billion) and other private services ($0.1 
billion).  Changes in the other categories of services imports 
were relatively small.
				
	The December 2011 to December 2012 increase in exports 
of services was $3.9 billion or 7.9 percent.  The largest 
increases were in other private services ($1.8 billion) and 
travel ($1.4 billion).  Within other private services, the largest 
increase was in business, professional, and technical services.

	The December 2011 to December 2012 decrease in 
imports of services was $0.1 billion or 0.2 percent.  Decreases 
in direct defense expenditures ($0.2 billion), travel ($0.1 
billion), and other transportation ($0.1 billion) were partly 
offset by an increase in royalties and license fees ($0.3 
billion).  
    
Goods and Services Moving Average

    For the three months ending in December, exports of 
goods and services averaged $183.2 billion, while imports of 
goods and services averaged $226.3 billion, resulting in an 
average trade deficit of $43.1 billion.  For the three months 
ending in November, the average trade deficit was $43.7 
billion, reflecting average exports of $183.4 billion and 
average imports of $227.1 billion.
 

Selected Not Seasonally Adjusted Goods Details
    
    The December figures show surpluses, in billions of 
dollars, with Hong Kong $4.0 ($3.0 for November), Australia 
$1.7  ($1.8),  Singapore  $1.1  ($1.1),  and  Egypt  $0.3  ($0.2).  
    
    
    
Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with China $24.5 
($29.0), European Union $8.7 ($12.2), Japan $5.7 ($6.2), 
Germany $5.4 ($6.2), Mexico $3.9 ($4.9), Canada $3.6 ($2.8),  
OPEC $3.4 ($6.6), Ireland $1.5 ($2.3), Venezuela $1.3 ($2.0), 
Korea $1.1 ($1.8), Taiwan $0.9 ($1.3), and Nigeria $0.5 
($1.0).  

   Advanced technology products exports were $27.6 billion 
in December and imports were $32.9 billion, resulting in a 
deficit of $5.4 billion.  December exports were $1.5 billion 
more than the $26.0 billion in November, while December 
imports were $4.9 billion less than the $37.8 billion in 
November.
    
Revisions 
    
    The seasonally adjusted goods data, on both a census 
basis and a balance of payments basis, for January through 
November were revised to align the seasonally adjusted 
months with the annual totals.
       
Census Basis (not seasonally adjusted)
    
    For November, exports of goods were revised up $0.1 
billion and imports of goods were virtually unrevised.  Goods 
carry-over in December was virtually zero for exports and 
$1.0 billion (0.6 percent) for imports.  For November, revised 
export carry-over was virtually zero and revised import carry-
over was $0.2 billion (0.1 percent).

Balance of Payments Basis (seasonally adjusted)
    
    For November, exports of goods were virtually unrevised 
and imports of goods were revised down $0.2 billion.
    
    For November, revisions in both exports and imports of 
services were small.
          


Annual Summary for 2012

Goods and Services

   For 2012, exports of $2,195.9 billion and imports of 
$2,736.3 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of 
$540.4 billion, $19.5 billion less than the 2011 deficit of 
$559.9 billion.  For goods, exports were $1,563.6 billion and 
imports were $2,299.3 billion, resulting in a goods deficit of 
$735.7 billion, $2.7 billion less than the 2011 deficit of $738.4 
billion.  For services, exports were $632.3 billion and imports 
were $437.0 billion, resulting in a services surplus of $195.3 
billion, $16.8 billion more than the 2011 surplus of $178.5 
billion.
   
   The goods and services deficit was $540.4 billion in 2012, 
down from $559.9 billion in 2011.  As a percentage of U.S. 
gross domestic product, the goods and services deficit was 3.4 
percent in 2012, down from 3.7 percent in 2011.
   
   Goods (Census basis)
   
   For 2012, exports of goods were up $66.7 billion from 
2011.  Increases occurred in capital goods ($33.7 billion); 
automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($12.9 billion); 
consumer goods ($6.7 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages 
($6.6 billion); other goods ($6.3 billion); and industrial 
supplies and materials ($0.5 billion).
   
   For 2012, imports of goods were up $67.2 billion from 
2011.  Increases occurred in automotive vehicles, parts, and 
engines ($43.1 billion); capital goods ($37.5 billion); other 
goods ($6.3 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages ($2.8 
billion); and consumer goods ($2.2 billion). A decrease 
occurred in industrial supplies and materials ($24.6 billion). 
 
Services

    For 2012, exports of services were $632.3 billion, up 
$26.4 billion from 2011.  Increases occurred in travel ($12.1 
billion), other private services ($10.2 billion), which includes 
items such as business, professional, and technical services, 
insurance services, and financial services, passenger fares 
($3.3 billion), royalties and license fees ($0.6 billion), other 
transportation ($0.3 billion), which includes freight and port 
services, and U.S. government miscellaneous services ($0.1 
billion).  Within other private services, the largest increase 
was in business, professional, and technical services.  A 
decrease occurred in transfers under U.S. military sales 
contracts ($0.1 billion).   
 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    For 2012, imports of services were $437.0 billion, up $9.6 
billion from 2011.  Increases occurred in royalties and license 
fees ($4.9 billion), which partly reflects payments for the 
rights to broadcast the 2012 Summer Olympic Games,  travel 
($4.9 billion), passenger fares ($3.3 billion), and other 
transportation ($0.4 billion).  Decreases occurred in direct 
defense expenditures ($3.0 billion), other private services 
($0.6 billion), and U.S. government miscellaneous services 
($0.4 billion).  Within other private services, the largest 
decrease was in insurance.  
    
    For detailed descriptions of the types of transactions 
included in each of the services categories, see Information 
on Goods and Services starting on page A-1 of this release.
    

NOTICE

Changes to Exhibit 15

Beginning with the January 2013 statistics scheduled for release on March 7, 2013, Exhibit 15 in the U.S. 
International Trade in Goods and Services news release will be modified to incorporate changes in commodity 
groupings and definitions.  There will also be minor modifications to the general structure of the exhibit.

In order to reflect a more comprehensive and cohesive listing of commodities, Exhibit 15. Exports and Imports 
of Goods by Principal Commodities will see the following changes:

*	The Manufactured Goods total will be based on the North American Industry Classification System 
(NAICS).
*	The current selected commodities will be replaced with 1- and 2- digit Standard International Trade 
Classification (SITC) codes.

Examples of the modified exhibit in Excel format and historical data from January 2010 to December 2012 are 
available at www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/notices/20121211_exh15.html.  

Informal Entry Value Increase

Effective January 7, 2013, through a final rule in the Federal Register titled Informal Entry Limit and Removal 
of a Formal Entry Requirement, the United States Customs and Border Protection raised the dollar value limit 
for filing informal import entries from $2,000 to $2,500.  This rule will facilitate trade for low-value shipments, 
allowing importers to realize an annual cost savings.  The new limit applies to all commodities, including 
previous exceptions (textile products).  More information is available at 
www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/national/12062012.xml.
With the implementation of this final rule, the U.S. Census Bureau has reviewed its method for measuring low-
value shipments and determined that the informal import entries contain all the necessary data elements to 
maintain the current level of detail in the published statistics. 

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Data Dissemination Branch of the
U.S. Census Bureaus Foreign Trade Division on (800) 549-0595, option 4, or at
ftd.data.dissemination@census.gov.



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 - Chained (2005) 
Dollars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


12
Exhibit 11
Real Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods, Petroleum and Non-Petroleum End-Use 
Commodity Category Totals - Chained (2005) 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



   
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