Dados EUA: Trade gap narrows

[notiCIas]

Trade gap narrows

Imports outstrip exports by $55.3B in May, down about 8 percent from record level hit in February.

July 13, 2005: 8:56 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The gap between U.S. imports and exports narrowed in May, according to a government report Wednesday that came in smaller than Wall Street forecasts.

The Commerce Department report showed that imports of goods and services outstripped exports by $55.3 billion, down from the revised $56.9 billion figure for April. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a trade gap of $57 billion.

The gap was helped by a record $106.9 billion, up slightly from a revised $106.7 billion level in exports seen in April. Falling oil prices during the month also helped, as the average price paid for oil imports fell 4 percent to $43.08 a barrel from $44.76. That trimmed crude oil imports by $1.2 billion, a key in the $1.4 billion drop in overall imports.

There was also progress made in the trade of autos. Auto and auto part exports rose to $8.9 billion from $8.4 billion in April, outpacing the rise in the imports of autos and auto parts by $250 million.