trade surplus

China's economy, the turbocharged engine of world growth, is starting to sputter. From a competitive standpoint, that may feel like good news, but what happens in Beijing doesn't stay in Beijing: The U.S. economy is inextricably linked to China's.

Aided by a decline in imports and a two-year high in exports, the U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly plunged 5.3% in September to $44 billion. Strong commercial airline orders helped boost the export total. Further, if the dollar remains at present levels, that will likely lead to more export gains in the months ahead -- something that will boost the revenue of many U.S. corporations with substantial international customers.

China posted its second-largest trade surprlus of the year in October, giving further ammunition to critics who say that the country's currency should be stronger. The country's October exports were worth $27.15 billion more than its imports for the month, the largest figure for any month this...

China's trade surplus rose 140% in June from a year earlier, to $20.02 billion, primarily due to an increase in exports. That set off rumbling in Congress about the need to do something about China's currency, kept artificially low to boost its exports.

The nation's trade deficit unexpectedly plunged to $32.9 billion in October, as exports -- aided by the weaker dollar -- rose for the sixth straight month, the U.S. Commerce Department announced Thursday.

International visits to the United States fell 12 percent in May 2009 from the year before. Those still flying over spent a lot less – only $9.5 billion, down 22 percent from the same period last year. May was the seventh consecutive month in which international visitor spending declined....