U.S. exports increase slightly in April

The U.S. Commerce Department said the country’s exports of goods and services reached $189.9 billion in April.    The U.S. Commerce Department said the country’s exports of goods and services reached $189.9 billion in April, a slight increase compared to $188 billion in March.
   Meanwhile, the goods and services trade deficit improved by $9.7 billion to $40.9 billion in April. 
   The Obama administration touted its National Export Initiative, announced by the president in 2010, as a contributing factor to the nation’s persistently increasing exports. In 2014, the United States exported $2.34 trillion in goods and services, accounting for 13.4 percent of total GDP.
   The administration is also hopeful Congress will pass the trade promotion authority to provide the president a more streamlined process for finalizing free trade agreements.