Our trade deficit fell 21.0% in November, the largest one month drop since the 2009 recession, as both the value of our exports and the value of our imports decreased, but the value of our imports decreased by quite a bit more.
The first quarter GDP initial estimate is a pathetically weak 0.7%. While the usual suspects, changes in private inventories, imports and government spending all contracted, the real drama is in the very weak consumer spending growth. Consumer spending is most of GDP and only gained a paltry 0.3% for Q1.
The U.S. December 2016 monthly trade deficit decreased 3.2% from last month and now stands at $44.3 billion. For all of 2016, the trade deficit increased 0.4% from the year previous. While that doesn't sound like much, the total amount is -$502.3 billion. This is in spite of petroleum imports being much less of a trade deficit factor.
The GDP initial estimate reports a weak 1.9% economic growth for the 4th quarter. Imports really hammered GDP, just in time to validate now President Trump. Consumer spending was lower while changes in private inventories added a full percentage point to Q4 GDP. Generally speaking this report shows just how much imports can slow economic growth. U.S. Exports curtailed and as a result, -1.7 percentage points of GDP were lost in Q4.
Our trade deficit rose by 17.8% in October as the value of our exports decreased and the value of our imports increased. The Census report on our international trade in goods and services for October indicated that our seasonally adjusted goods and services trade deficit rose by more than $6.4 billion to $42.6 billion in October from a revised September deficit of $36.2 billion.
The GDP initial estimate reports a solid 2.9% economic growth for the third quarter. Trade exports and private inventories accelerated in Q3. Consumer spending was home hum, although durable goods consumer spending dramatically increased. Residential investment declined for the quarter. While a nice report, GDP is always revised and this is just the initial release.
The first Q2 GDP estimate shows a surprising sputtering 1.2% of economic growth. That is a much weaker second quarter than most expected as investment declined -9.7% from the first quarter and the price index was much higher. Worse, GDP was revised for 2016 Q1 back to 0.8%. GDP for years 2015, 2014 and 2013, were all revised higher. Yet since Q2 2015, quarterly GDP was revised lower, showing quite the sluggish slowdown going on for at least a year.
Our trade deficit increased by 10.1% in May as the value of our exports decreased and the value of our imports increased. The Census report on our international trade in goods and services for May indicated that our seasonally adjusted goods and services trade deficit rose by $3.8 billion (rounded) to $41.1 billion in May from a revised April deficit of $37.4 billion.
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