Trade deficit rises, demand for exports slips

WASHINGTON (AP):

The United States trade deficit rose to the highest level in 16 months as exports fell for the second time in three months, a potentially worrisome sign that Europe's debt troubles are beginning to crimp American manufacturers.

The Commerce Department said Thursday the trade deficit widened to $40.3 billion in April, up by 0.6 per cent from March. US exports dropped 0.6 per cent while imports declined by 0.4 per cent.

US manufacturing has been a standout performer as the US recovers from the worst recession in decades. But, the concern is that Europe's debt crisis will slow growth in that part of the world and dampen demand in a key US export market.

For April, exports slipped to $148.8 billion with demand for US farm products falling by $647 million and weakness spread across a number of manufactured goods, from electric generators to industrial machinery and aircraft engines.

Imports edged down to $189.1 billion with demand for oil basically unchanged from March while total consumer goods imports dipped by $741 million, with the biggest decline coming in pharmaceutical products.

Economists worried

Many economists are worried that Europe could fall into a double-dip recession. That will dampen demand for US exports in a region that accounts for about 15 per cent of US exports.

American sales are also threatened by the fact that the euro, the common currency of 16 European nations, has fallen in value against the dollar as investors, worried about possible defaults in countries such as Greece, have fled to the safety of dollar-denominated investments.

Earlier this week, the dollar reached a four-year high against the euro. A stronger dollar and a weaker euro hurts America's trade balance with Europe by making US products more expensive in European markets and European products cheaper for US consumers.

Even before the debt problems hit Europe, economists were forecasting that America's trade deficit would widen this year as a rebounding US economy boosts demand for foreign goods from the lows hit last year when the country was struggling to emerge from the worst recession in decades.

Through April, the trade deficit is running at an annual rate of $466.6 billion, up 25 per cent from last year's deficit of $374.9 billion. That was the smallest trade deficit since 2001, another year when the United States was in a recession.

For April, the deficit with China jumped 14.3 percent to $19.3 billion, the highest level since November. The big increase reflected 9.4 per cent drop in US exports to China revealing big declines in sales of soybeans, motor vehicles and parts and raw cotton. Imports of Chinese products to the United States rose 6.6 per cent led by higher sales of computers, household appliances and cellphones.

As usual, the US deficit with China was the largest for any single country, a distinction that has attracted attention in Congress, where Chinese critics contend that Beijing is engaging in unfair trade practices which are costing US manufacturing jobs.

Some lawmakers are pushing legislation that would impose stiff trade sanctions on China unless it allows its currency, the yuan, to start rising in value against the dollar. However, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made no headway on the currency issue during high-level talks in Beijing late last month.

The deficit with the European Union dropped 18.9 per cent to $5.7 billion as US exports fell by 9.4 per cent while US imports from the EU were down 11.8 per cent.

For April, exports slipped to $148.8 billion with demand for US farm products falling by $647 million and weakness spread across a number of manufactured goods