US trade deficit falls in 2012, down by 3,5% compared to the previous year, 540,4 billion dollars compared to 559,9 billion in 2011. In the calculation, the figure for the month of December weighs in, in which the US deficit surprisingly recorded a considerable drop, the largest in four years, thanks above all to the contraction of oil imports, to their lowest since 1997.
According to the US Department of Commerce, the December deficit is, in fact, cup 21%, from $48,61 billion in November to $38,54 billion. Amazed analysts, who had predicted a figure of around 45,5 billion. For the full year, the trade deficit fell 3,5% from 2011.
In December there was an increase in exports, up 2,1% to $186,37 billion, from 182,49 billion in the previous month, while imports dropped by 2,7% to 224,91 billion dollars from 231,10 billion in November. Crude talk: An 8,3% decrease in imports led to a new low, while the value of exports settled at an all-time high of $11,6 billion.
Looking to business partners, the deficit with China drops by 15,5%, to 24,45 billion dollars, while the deficit with the Eurozone has climbed by 30%, and so has the one with Canada.
