Como se combate o populismo? "Com eleições", responde Fukuyama

[Info....]

8:29am 03/11/05 U.S. JAN. CAPITAL GOODS EXPORTS FALL 0.7%
8:29am 03/11/05 U.S. JAN. CAPITAL GOODS IMPORTS UP 1.7%
8:29am 03/11/05 U.S. JAN. CONSUMER GOODS IMPORTS UP 6%
8:29am 03/11/05 U.S. IMPORTS FROM CHINA UP 27% YEAR-OVER-YEAR
8:29am 03/11/05 U.S. JAN. EXPORTS UP 0.4% TO RECORD $100.8B
8:29am 03/11/05 U.S. JAN. IMPORTS UP 1.9% TO RECORD $159.1B
8:29am 03/11/05 U.S. JAN. TRADE GAP EXCEEDS $56.5B EXPECTATIONS

ECONOMIC REPORT: U.S. trade gap widens to $58.3 billion; Jan. imports, exports set records
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch
Last Update: 8:32 AM ET March 11, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The U.S. trade deficit with the world widened by 4.5 percent in January to a seasonally adjusted $58.3 billion, the second highest on record, the Commerce Department announced Friday.

Trade across the nation's borders has never been busier. Imports rose 1.9 percent to a record $159.1 billion, while exports gained 0.4 percent to a record $100.8 billion.

Economists were expecting the trade gap to widen slightly in January to about $56.5 billion, according to a survey conducted by MarketWatch. December's trade gap was revised down to $55.7 billion from $56.4 billion previously.

For all of 2004, the U.S. booked a record trade deficit of $617.1 billion, or 5.3 percent of gross domestic product.

Nothing seems to stop the growth of the trade deficit. Certainly not the dollar. The dollar depreciated about 7 percent, on net, against the euro and the U.K. pound and the Canadian dollar in 2004 and declined 4 percent on net against the Japanese yen.

Strong economic growth is the driving force behind the deficit. The U.S. economy is growing faster than either Europe or Japan.

The rise in imports in January was chiefly due to a 6 percent increase in consumer goods, including clothing, electronics, toys and artwork. Imports of $19.7 billion in autos and $34.6 billion in consumer goods were records.

Imports of clothing rose 9.3 percent, not seasonally adjusted. The preliminary data released by government do not break down textile or clothing imports by country of origin.

Fears were raised earlier in the week when China said its exports of textiles to the United States soared to $1.2 billion in January from about $700 million a year ago. A global textile quota system lapsed in December, allowing China to recapture market share from other low-cost producers in East Asia.

Total imports from China increased 1.9 percent in January from December to $17.9 billion, not seasonally adjusted. Chinese imports rose 27 percent year-over-year.

Global imports of capital goods rose 1.7 percent to $30.7 billion in January, the highest level since September 2000. Imports of electric equipment, medical equipment, computer accessories and semiconductors had the largest gains.

Oil was an offsetting factor, as the value of imported crude declined by 8 percent to $11.9 billion. The average price fell to $35.35 a barrel while the volume rose slightly to 10.4 million barrels a day.

Imports of other industrial supplies were mixed. Imports of iron and steel mill products fell 10 percent, while imports of copper rose 56 percent.

The rise in exports was largely due to autos. Exports of capital goods fell 0.7 percent to $28.5 billion, including a 6.9 percent drop in aircraft shipments. Exports of industrial machines gained nearly 10 percent.

Exports of consumer goods dropped 2 percent, with increases in only a handful of categories, such as artwork, drugs and coins.

Exports of industrial supplies rose modestly as exports of natural gas gained 85 percent, offsetting a big drop in organic chemicals.

Exports of foods and feeds dipped on a 20 percent decline in soybeans.

The trade gap with China widened by nearly $1 billion to $15.3 billion as exports plunged 20 percent. The trade gap with Canada widened to $6.2 billion, the most since June as imports grew by 4.3 percent. The trade gaps with the European Union, Mexico and Japan fell.