trade balances
International commerce ledgers
Trade balances measure the difference between what a country exports and imports.
A positive balance (trade surplus) means exports exceed imports; a negative balance (trade deficit) means the opposite.
Economists and politicians debate whether deficits harm an economy or simply reflect consumer demand: The U.S. has run persistent trade deficits with China.
The singular trade balance refers to this metric for a single country or relationship.
- inflation ratesSpeed of rising prices
- importsGoods brought in
- exportsGoods sold abroad
- net exportsExports minus imports
- goodsThings for sale
GDP growth · foreign exchange · surpluses · deficits · current account · protectionism · level playing field · accounts · commodity prices · currency fluctuations · services · made in China · exchange rates · comparative advantage · import tariffs · balances · customs duties · foreign
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balance, trade, trading, traded, trades, trade-off, trade-offs, tradeable, trade balance