US trade deficit expands in September over global weakness美國貿易赤字擴大在九月份全球疲軟

By Josh Boak ,AP
November 5, 2014, 12:01 am TWN

Exports fell 1.5 percent to US$195.6 billion, led by declines in shipments of industrial supplies, consumer products and capital goods such as engines and computers.
Economic slowdowns in Europe and China appear to have hurt demand for American-made goods. Since September, the dollar has appreciated in value more than 4 percent against the euro to US$1.25, making U.S. products less competitively priced abroad.The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the trade deficit rose 7.6 percent to US$43 billion in September. That marks the first increase in four months.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. trade deficit rose in September, as a broader global economic weakness caused exports to fall.

September imports held steady at US$238.6 billion for the second straight month.

The trade gap has been tempered this year by the boom in U.S. energy production, which has reduced dependence on foreign oil and increased U.S. petroleum exports. So far this year, petroleum imports are 7.6 percent below the level of a year ago. Part of that decline has come from falling oil prices, with crude imports costing 3.1 percent less so far this year.

Petroleum exports will likely fall in the months ahead, as oil prices have slipped below $80 a barrel from more than $100 a barrel in June.

“The collapse in crude oil prices means that the trade deficit will narrow again before the end of this year,” said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

The politically sensitive trade deficit with China surged 17.6 percent to US$35.6 billion in September, an all-time high. The release of the new Apple iPhone likely fueled much of the 12.7 percent increase in imports from China, just as growth in that economy has slipped and caused U.S. exports to fall 3.2 percent.

The deficit with China is on track to set another record for the entire year, creating more pressure for Congress and the Obama administration to take steps to curb what critics call unfair trade practices in China.

U.S. manufacturers say that China is manipulating its currency for a trade advantage. They accuse China of undervaluing the yuan to make the goods it manufactures cheaper when they are exported, and American products more expensive in China.

U.S. exports to the European Union also fell in September, decreasing 6.5 percent compared to August as several nations on that continent are grappling with the risk of a recession.

Through September, the trade deficit totaled US$378.1 billion, compared to US$363.9 billion for the same period last year. For all of 2013, the deficit totaled US$476.4 billion, 11.4 percent lower than in 2012. Many economists believe the trade deficit will rise slightly in 2014, as a stronger U.S. economy is drawing in more imports.

The trade deficit is a drag on overall growth. That's because U.S. producers are selling less abroad compared to foreign companies, while imports subtract from gross domestic product. Steven Ricchiuto, chief economist at Mizuho Securities, estimated that the October figures could reduce the estimate of 3.5 percent annual GDP growth in the third quarter by 0.4 percent.

美國貿易赤字擴大在九月份全球疲軟

由Josh Boak，美聯社
2014年11月5日，上午12:01 TWN

華盛頓 - 美國貿易赤字上升，9月，作為一個更廣泛的全球經濟疲軟導致出口下降。

週二美國商務部表示，貿易逆差九月份上漲了7.6％，至43美元十億。這標誌著四個月以來的首次增長。

在歐洲和中國經濟放緩似乎對美國製造的商品的需求受到傷害。9月以來，美元已經價值升值超過4％，兌歐元至1.25美元，使得美國產品少價格競爭力的國外。

出口下降1.5％，增至195.6十億的帶動下，工業用品，消費品和資本貨物，如發動機和電腦的出貨量下降。

九月份進口持穩於美元238.6十億為連續第二個月。

貿易赤字今年已經鍛煉的熱潮在美國的能源生產，從而減少對外國石油的依賴，美國增加石油出口。今年到目前為止，石油進口的7.6％，低於一年前的水平。對這種下降的部分原因來自油價下跌，原油進口成本3.1％較今年迄今。

石油出口量將可能回落在未來幾個月內，隨著石油價格的六月份跌破每桶80美元，從100多美元一桶。

“原油價格的崩潰意味著貿易赤字將在今年年底前再次縮小，”保羅阿什沃思首席美國經濟學家Capital Economics的說。

在政治敏感與中國的貿易逆差激增17.6％，至九月美元35.6十億，同比創歷史新高。新的蘋果iPhone的發布可能會刺激很多來自中國的進口增長12.7％，就像生長在經濟下滑，導致美國出口下降3.2％。

與中國的貿易逆差正在逐步建立再創歷史新高全年，創造更多的壓力，國會和奧巴馬政府採取措施遏制批評者稱在中國的不公平貿易行為。