Department of Commerce Releases April Import and Export Figures

Two Department of Commerce agencies announced a $40.3 billion difference between the country’s exports and imports in April. On balance, America remains a net importer of goods and services, with a trade gap of $40.3 billion.

In a news release Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis wrote that this trade deficit is about $3 billion higher than the figure for March.

Total imports for April came to $227.7 billion, and total exports amounted to $187.4 billion.

Compared to April 2012, however, exports increased by 1.7 percent, with imports down by 1.4 percent.

The year-to-year comparisons reflect boosts in exports of consumer and automobile products, with lower import figures caused by less importing of industrial supplies and materials.

Read the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ blog post on the figures here. Trade gaps with the European Union and China widened in April, according to the post, while the trade gap with Mexico decreased.

Find the full statistics in the official report here.