Keeping Track: US trade deficit

Last week, the Commerce Department released its monthly trade-deficit figure – the total value of exported goods and services minus the value of imports – for January.

Exports and imports stood at $78 billion and $106.5 billion respectively, signaling a gap of $28.5 billion – and the end of a three-month decline in the deficit. Experts cite global recession and a strong US dollar for the gap's expansion.