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Indicator Digest

Trade Balance
The Trade Balance measures a countries' trade in the world by examining exports and imports. A positive value means a country exported more than it imported. In some countries like Germany and Japan, exports make up an important part of GDP. Higher levels of exports for a country will tend to increase the demand for that country's currency, as foreign firms have to purchase those exports in the country's domestic currency.

Main Indicator: Trade Balance

Most Recent Release

March
9th, 2010
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-8.0B -6.9B -7.3B N/A

Visible Trade Balance for January
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
Current Release: HTML

Total Bal.: pr. -£3.3B (Dec), -£2.9B (Nov), -£3.2B (Oct),
-£3.0B (Sep), -£2.3 (Aug), -£2.4B (Jul), -£2.4B (Jun), -£1.9B (May),
-£3.0B (Apr), -£2.5 (Mar), -£3.25B (Feb), -£3.58 (Jan), -£3.61 (Dec)

Table of Past Data

6/107/98/119/910/911/1012/91/122/93/9
Actual-7.0B-6.3B-6.5B-6.5B-6.3B-7.2B-7.1B-6.8B-7.3B-8.0B
Forecast-6.4B-6.8B-6.4B-6.3B-6.3B-6.1B-6.9B-6.9B-6.6B-6.9B
Previous-6.5B-7.0B-6.2B-6.5B-6.5B-6.1B-6.9B-7.1B-6.8B-7.3B
Revised From-6.6BN/A-6.3BN/AN/A-6.2B-7.2BN/AN/AN/A

Past Releases

February
9th, 2010
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-7.3B -6.6B -6.8B N/A

Visible Trade Balance for December
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
Current Release: HTML

Total Bal.: -£3.3B, pr. -£2.9B (Nov), -£3.2B (Oct), -£3.0B (Sep),
-£2.3 (Aug), -£2.4B (Jul), -£2.4B (Jun), -£1.9B (May), -£3.0B (Apr),
-£2.5 (Mar), -£3.25B (Feb), -£3.58 (Jan), -£3.61 (Dec)

January
12th, 2010
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-6.8B -6.9B -7.1B N/A

Visible Trade Balance for November
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
Current Release: HTML

Total Bal.: -£2.9B, pr. -£3.2B (Oct), -£3.0B (Sep), -£2.3 (Aug),
-£2.4B (Jul), -£2.4B (Jun), -£1.9B (May), -£3.0B (Apr), -£2.5 (Mar),
-£3.25B (Feb), -£3.58 (Jan), -£3.61 (Dec), -£4.47B (Nov)

December
9th, 2009
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-7.1B -6.9B -6.9B -7.2B

Visible Trade Balance for October
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
Current Release: HTML

Total Bal.: -£3.2B, pr. -£3.0B (Sep), -£2.3 (Aug),  -£2.4B (Jul),
-£2.4B (Jun), -£1.9B (May), -£3.0B (Apr), -£2.5 (Mar), -£3.25B (Feb),
-£3.58 (Jan), -£3.61 (Dec), -£4.47B (Nov), -£3.86B (Oct)

November
10th, 2009
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-7.2B -6.1B -6.1B -6.2B

Visible Trade Balance for September
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
Current Release: HTML

Total Bal.: pr. -£2.3 (Aug),  -£2.4B (Jul), -£2.4B (Jun), -£1.9B (May),
-£3.0B (Apr), -£2.5 (Mar), -£3.25B (Feb), -£3.58 (Jan), -£3.61 (Dec),
-£4.47B (Nov), -£3.86B (Oct), -£3.86B (Sep), -£4.73B (Aug)

October
9th, 2009
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-6.3B -6.3B -6.5B N/A

Visible Trade Balance for August
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
Current Release: HTML

Total Bal.: -£2.3, pr. -£2.4B (Jul), -£2.4B (Jun), -£1.9B (May),
-£3.0B (Apr), -£2.5 (Mar), -£3.25B (Feb), -£3.58 (Jan), -£3.61 (Dec),
-£4.47B (Nov), -£3.86B (Oct), -£3.86B (Sep), -£4.73B (Aug)

September
9th, 2009
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-6.5B -6.3B -6.5B N/A

Visible Trade Balance for July
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
Current Release: HTML

Total Bal.:  -£2.4B, pr. -£2.4B (Jun)(revised from: -£2.2B), -£1.9B (May), -£3.0B (Apr), -£2.5 (Mar),
-£3.25B (Feb), -£3.58 (Jan), -£3.61 (Dec), -£4.47B (Nov),
-£3.86B (Oct), -£3.86B (Sep), -£4.73B (Aug), -£4.46B (Jul)

UK's trade deficit in goods was essentially unchanged at -£0.9 6.5B in July. Both imports and exports increased by £0.9B, a good sign that economic activity was picking up.

August
11th, 2009
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-6.5B -6.4B -6.2B -6.3B

Visible Trade Balance for June
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
This Release: HTML

Total Bal.:  -£2.2B, pr. -£1.9B (May), -£3.0B (Apr), -£2.5 (Mar),
-£3.25B (Feb), -£3.58 (Jan), -£3.61 (Dec), -£4.47B (Nov),
-£3.86B (Oct), -£3.86B (Sep), -£4.73B (Aug), -£4.46B (Jul)

Imports increased by the largest since July 2008, rising 2.2% on the month to £24.71 billion. Exports increased 1.4% to £18.26 billion. Oil imports were the main contributor, climbing to £2.4 billion from £1.9 billion. This swung the the oil balance from a £100 million surplus in May, to a £315 million deficit in June. The ONS attributes this increase of foreign oil demand to summer maintenance related cutbacks in British refineries. 

July
9th, 2009
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-6.3B -6.8B -7.0B N/A

Visible Trade Balance for May
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
Official Release: PDF

Total Bal.: -£2.2B, pr. -£3.0B (Apr), -£2.5 (Mar), -£3.25B (Feb),
-£3.58 (Jan), -£3.61 (Dec), -£4.47B (Nov), -£3.86B (Oct),
-£3.86B (Sep), -£4.73B (Aug), -£4.46B (Jul), -£4.41B (Jun)

June
10th, 2009
Actual Forecast Previous Revised Form
-7.0B -6.4B -6.5B -6.6B

Visible Trade Balance for April
Latest Release Provided by: National Statistics Office
Official Release: PDF

Total Bal.: -3.0B, pr. -£2.5 (Mar), -£3.25B (Feb), -£3.58 (Jan),
-£3.61 (Dec), -£4.47B (Nov), -£3.86B (Oct), -£3.86B (Sep),
-£4.73B (Aug), -£4.46B (Jul), -£4.41B (Jun), -£4.25B (May)

The UK trade gap in goods with the rest of the world widened in April. The deficit in goods rose to £7 billion from £6.5 billion, as exports rose 0.5% but imports grew 2.5%. The figure was weaker than expected. A cheaper Pound has helped boost exports to the nations in the European Union, but overall export growth seems disappointing. Global trade, at least in April, has retrenched as data from the US and other countries showed. Therefore the decline of sterling has not been sufficient to counteract the sharp fall in global trade of durable goods and raw materials as firms run down inventories.