U.S. International Trade in
Transportation-Related Goods
Box 12-A
Merchandise Trade Balance Trends
Trade balances indirectly measure the U.S. competitiveness in supplying transportation-related goods
globally and indicate the U.S. competitive position in the production, provision, and delivery of these
goods compared with other major trading partners. Between 1990 and 2002, the United States had a growing
overall trade balance deficit in all categories of transportation-related goods, due primarily to
increased demand for imported motor vehicles. The U.S. trade deficit during this period in these commodity
groups included trade with our top three trading partners: Canada, Mexico, and Japan.
Source
U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. International Trade and
Freight Transportation Trends (Washington, DC: 2003).
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