The February 2012 international trade deficit fell 12.4 percent from the prior month, to $46.0 billion. Exports increased 0.1 percent, to $181.2 billion, and imports decreased 2.7 percent, to $227.2 billion.
February 2012 wholesale inventories were $478.9 billion, up 0.9 percent from January and up 9.3 percent from one year earlier. Sales were $409.4 billion, up 1.2 percent from January and up 9.3 percent from February 2011.
February 2012 new orders for manufactured goods increased 1.3 percent from January, to $468.4 billion. Shipments rose 0.1 percent to $462.6 billion. Unfilled orders increased 1.3 percent to $931.1 billion. And inventories rose 0.4 percent to $616.8 billion.
Construction spending in February 2012 was $808.9 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 1.1 percent from the revised January 2012 estimate, but up 5.8 percent from February 2011.
New orders for manufactured durable goods in February 2012 increased 2.2 percent, to $211.8 billion. Excluding transportation, new orders rose 1.6 percent. Overall shipments fell 0.4 percent, while capital goods shipments fell 0.3 percent. Unfilled orders increased 1.3 percent and inventories rose 0.4 percent.
