The trade balance is the value of a country's exports minus the value of its imports over a period: a surplus when exports are larger, a deficit when imports are larger. Statistics agencies publish it, usually monthly: in the United States the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), and in Mexico INEGI. Major releases can coincide with higher volatility and wider spreads.
Also called: balance of trade, trade surplus, trade deficit, net exports
Hypothetical example
Hypothetically, a country exports goods worth 50 billion and imports goods worth 53 billion in a month: a trade deficit of 3 billion.
