The May 2012 international trade deficit declined 3.8 percent from April, to $48.7 billion. Exports rose 0.2 percent, to $183.1 billion, and imports fell 0.7 percent, to $231.8 billion.
May 2012 new orders for manufactured goods increased 0.7 percent from April, to $469.0 billion. Shipments rose 0.5 percent to $476.0 billion. Unfilled orders were virtually unchanged at $984.4 billion. And inventories fell 0.2 percent to $604.5 billion.
New orders for manufactured durable goods in May 2012 increased 1.1 percent, to $217.2 billion. Excluding transportation, new orders rose 0.4 percent. Overall shipments increased 0.7 percent, while capital goods shipments rose 1.3 percent. Unfilled orders were virtually unchanged and inventories increased 0.5 percent in May.
Sales of new single-family homes in May 2012 were 369,000 at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, up 7.6 percent from April’s revised rate and up 19.8 percent from May 2011.
Building permits in May 2012 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 780,000, up 7.9 percent from the revised April rate and up 25.0 percent from May 2011. Housing starts in May 2012 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 708,000, down 4.8 percent from April’s revised estimate, but up 28.5 percent from May 2011.
