U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices

Jackson, James K.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Trade;    Balance of trade;    Imports;    Energy;    Energy prices;   

RP-ID  :  RS22204
RP-ID  :  RS22204_2008Oct10

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Petroleum prices have continued to rise sharply in 2008, at one time reaching more than $140 per barrel of crude oil. At the same time the average monthly volume of imports of energy-related petroleum products has fallen slightly. The combination of sharply rising prices and a slightly lower level of imports of energy-related petroleum products translates into an escalating cost for those imports. The prices of energy imports have been on a steady rise since summer of 2007, defying the pattern of declining energy import prices in the fall. This report provides an estimate of the initial impact of the rising oil prices on the nation's merchandise trade deficit.