A drop in exports and rise in imports at the end of 2011 pushed the U.S. trade deficit to its widest point in three years.
A drop in exports and rise in imports at the end of 2011 pushed the U.S. trade deficit to its widest point in three years.
The Commerce Department said Wednesday that the current account trade deficit increased 15.3 percent in the October-December quarter, to $124.1 billion.
A higher trade deficit acts as a drag on growth. It means more goods and services are being purchased from overseas, while U.S. companies are making fewer sales overseas.
Exports decreased slightly to $380.4 billion, in part because of a drop in overseas demand for U.S. airline tickets. Imports ticked up to $566.7 billion. The increase was partly driven by increased purchases of imported airplanes.
Read more at OregonLive.com.
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