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).