April 2012 retail and food services sales were $408.0 billion, up 0.1 percent from the previous month and up 6.4 percent from one year earlier. Excluding autos, retail and food services sales in April were $334.5 billion, up 0.1 percent from March and up 5.9 percent from April 2011.
The March 2012 international trade deficit rose 14.1 percent from the prior month, to $51.8 billion. Exports increased 2.9 percent, to $186.8 billion, and imports increased 5.2 percent, to $238.6 billion.
March 2012 wholesale inventories were $480.4 billion, up 0.3 percent from February and up 8.4 percent from one year earlier. Sales were $411.1 billion, up 0.5 percent from February and up 6.5 percent from March 2011.
March 2012 new orders for manufactured goods decreased 1.5 percent from February, to $460.5 billion. Shipments rose 0.7 percent to $466.2 billion. Unfilled orders increased 0.1 percent to $930.6 billion and inventories rose 0.3 percent to $618.4 billion.
Construction spending in March 2012 was $808.1 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, up 0.1 percent from the revised February 2012 estimate, and up 6.0 percent from March 2011.
