在线国产一区二区_成人黄色片在线观看_国产成人免费_日韩精品免费在线视频_亚洲精品美女久久_欧美一级免费在线观看

  Home>News Center>World
         
 

US trade deficit soars, jobless claims up
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-10-15 01:28

The U.S. trade deficit, propelled by a record foreign oil bill, surged to $54 billion in August, the second highest level in history. The politically sensitive deficit with China hit a new high as American retailers upped their orders for cell phones, toys and televisions.

The Commerce Department said the August trade deficit in goods and services was 6.9 percent higher than a $50.5 billion imbalance in July. A small 0.1 percent rise in exports was dwarfed by a 2.5 percent jump in imports.

For the year, America's trade deficit is running at a record annual rate of $590 billion, 19 percent higher than the previous record, last year's $496.5 billion imbalance.

Imports climbed 2.5 percent to a record $150.1 billion in August, reflecting a 12.2 percent jump in petroleum shipments, which rose to a record $15.6 billion last month.

U.S. exports edged up 0.1 percent to $96 billion in August following an even larger 3 percent gain in July. Economists are hoping that an improving global economy will lift sales of American goods overseas. Sales of American cars and auto parts did hit a record, rising to $7.8 billion in August.

The U.S. trade performance has become an issue in the presidential race with Democratic challenger John Kerry charging that President Bush has not done enough to protect American workers from unfair trade practices from low wage countries such as China.

In Wednesday night's final debate, Kerry criticized Bush for failing to pursue an unfair trade practice complaint against China on the grounds that it has rigged its currency system to keep the yuan undervalued by as much as 40 percent against the U.S. dollar, giving Chinese products a huge competitive advantage against American goods.

In a second economic report, the Labor Department said the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose by 15,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted level of 352,000. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out weekly changes, rose by 4,000 to a seven-month high of 352,000.

The report on jobless claims reflects a labor market that is continuing to confound economists' expectations. The country added a lower-than-expected 96,000 jobs in September as the unemployment rate held steady at 5.4 percent.

In August, the trade deficit with China climbed to a record $18.1 billion, pushed higher by a surge in demand for cell phones, toys and games, televisions and VCRs, reflecting efforts by U.S. retailers to stock their shelves in advance of the holiday shopping season.

The administration accuses Kerry of being an "economic isolationist" and argues that its policy of pushing to open foreign markets by negotiating free-trade agreements with other nations represents the best approach to keeping America competitive in a global economy.

However, the nation has lost 2.7 million manufacturing jobs over the past four years and some sectors vulnerable to foreign trade such as textiles have been particulary hard hit.

A coalition of textile groups asked the administration on Tuesday to limit imports of textiles from China , timing the filing of its case to force the administration to make a preliminary ruling by Nov. 1, the day before the election.

The nation's total foreign oil bill was driven higher in August by increased volume and higher prices. The average price for crude oil jumped to a 23-year high of $36.37 per barrel, up by $3.09 per barrel from July. Imported oil is likely to climb even higher in coming months reflecting rising oil prices that are now at record levels above $50 per barrel.



 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

One Chinese hostage killed, the other saved

 

   
 

China, Russia sign on borders, WTO entry

 

   
 

China's foreign trade bounces back into black

 

   
 

Recent natural disasters cost 1,326 lives

 

   
 

Japan publisher stops Rape of Nanjing comic

 

   
 

Bush official: Kerry advantage temporary

 

   
  Bush, Kerry lob post-debate assaults
   
  Some 28 U.S. GIs face Afghan abuse cases
   
  Japan publisher stops Rape of Nanjing comic
   
  Prince Sihamoni named Cambodian king
   
  U.S. marines launch attacks in Fallujah
   
  Bush official: Kerry advantage temporary
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
US trade deficit widens, stoking uncertainty over recovery
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产一级片视频 | 日韩av在线免费 | 中文字幕一区二区三区在线观看 | 欧美日韩亚洲一区二区 | 免费a视频 | 欧美性生交xxxxx久久久 | 爱爱免费网站 | 欧美激情视频一区二区三区 | 亚洲福利专区 | 免费成人黄色 | 精品视频一区二区三区四区 | www.黄色网| 国产视频a | www.伊人网| 日韩精品一区二区在线 | 国产在线视频一区 | 亚洲一区二区免费 | 成人网战 | 国产美女免费 | 亚洲最新视频 | 五月天婷婷丁香 | 日韩视频专区 | 国产欧美日韩综合精品 | 看一级黄色片 | 国产精品入口 | 免费黄色片网站 | 四虎av在线 | 中文字幕在线观看一区二区三区 | 中文字幕观看 | 欧美美女一区二区 | www.国产91| 四虎激情 | 色激情网| 亚洲日本中文字幕 | 一区二区三区中文字幕 | 久青草影院 | 中文字幕综合网 | 狠狠干在线视频 | 狠狠操综合网 | 黄色三级免费 | 国产精品99久久久久久久久久久久 |