WASHINGTON – The U.S. December trade balance was reported at a $43.4 billion deficit after a $42.2 billion shortage in November.
Exports were down 0.3% and imports up 0.3%, resulting in the widening.
Goods exports fell to their lowest since February 2011 as oil exports decreased with falling prices.
The import gain was led by a $1 billion rise in autos and parts and by $300 million in nonmonetary gold.
The 2015 tallies showed the trade deficit at $531.5 billion, $23.2 billion worse than in 2014. The trade deficit represented 3.0% of U.S. gross domestic product, versus 2.9% in 2014.
December's country breakdown data showed the census-basis goods balance at a $29.7 billion deficit with China after a $30.2 billion shortage in November, and at a $6.3 billion deficit with Japan after a $5.6 billion deficit. For all 2015, the deficit with China was $365.7 billion (accounting for almost 69% of the U.S.'s imbalance) after a $343.1 billion shortfall in 2014.
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