The January 2012 international trade deficit rose 4.3 percent from the prior month, to $52.6 billion. Exports increased 1.4 percent to $180.8 billion, and imports increased 2.1 percent to $233.4 billion.
January new orders for manufactured goods decreased 1.0 percent to $462.6 billion. Shipments rose 0.9 percent to $463.6 billion. Unfilled orders increased 0.6 percent to $917.9 billion and inventories increased 0.6 percent to 614.7 billion.
Construction spending in January 2012 was $827.0 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 0.1 percent from the revised December 2011 estimate but up 7.1 percent from January 2011.
New orders for manufactured durable goods in January 2012 decreased 4.0 percent, to $206.1 billion. Excluding transportation, new orders fell 3.2 percent. Overall shipments increased 0.4 percent, while capital goods shipments fell 1.1 percent. Unfilled orders were up 0.5 percent and inventories increased 0.7 percent.
Sales of new single-family homes in January 2012 were 321,000 at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 0.9 percent from December’s revised rate but up 3.5 percent from January 2011.
