U.S. exports reach $198.5 billion in August

The Commerce Department noted increases in exports of capital and consumer goods, as well as petroleum.    The Commerce Department reported Friday that U.S. exports of goods and services for August reached a record $198.5 billion, up from $198 billion in July.
   The department noted increases in exports of capital and consumer goods, as well as petroleum. Exports of manufactured goods in August totaled $121.1 billion. Year-to-date, exports of manufactured goods were up 1.5 percent from the same period of 2013, Commerce noted. 
   The White House attributed the export increase to the president’s National Export Initiative, which was launched in 2010. Since then, United States has seen an increase of 1.6 million export-supported jobs and exports have hit record highs four years in a row, reaching $2.3 trillion in 2013, the administration said.