U.S. July exports up 3.6%

U.S. July exports up 3.6%    The U.S. Commerce Department reported Thursday that the country’s exports in goods and services for July were up 3.6 percent from June to $178 billion.
   The value of exports in July, as well as the individual export values for goods and services, was the highest on record, the department noted. Exports of capital goods ($42.1 billion) and exports to South and Central America were also the highest on record in July ($14.7 billion).
   U.S. imports of goods and services decreased 0.2 percent over this period to $222.8 billion, causing the U.S. trade deficit to decrease 13.1 percent since June, totaling $44.8 billion in July.
   U.S. goods and services exports in the first seven months of 2011 are up 16.0 percent to $1,209 billion, compared to $1,042 billion in exports in the first seven months of 2010.
   ‘The global marketplace presents vast opportunities for U.S. companies, and today’s trade report shows they are taking advantage of those opportunities,’ said Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank, in a statement. ‘July exports reached record highs and export growth is up 16 percent so far this year, keeping us on track to meet the President’s goal of doubling exports by 2015.’