RL31032
The U.S. Trade Deficit
April 23, 2008
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Summary
International trade continues to grow in importance for the world economy as well as the U.S. economy, enhancing economic well-being generally, but also imposing costs on trade sensitive sectors of national economies. The importance of trade has been well-recognized by Congress, which in recent years has paid close attention to many dimensions of U.S. international trade performance. This report examines the trade deficit, paying special attention to what causes the imbalance, why it may be a problem, and what can be done to correct it.
