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Trade balances assess the relationship between a country’s imports and exports, providing key information about its economic health. The most common method is to determine a period and subtract the total cost of imports from the total cost of exports to determine the balance of trade. A surplus is ideal, while a deficit indicates an unstable economy. Fluctuations can be caused by various factors, including changes in government and natural disasters.
Trade balances are assessments of the relationship between imports and exports of a given country. Specifically, the purpose of the trade balance is to determine whether the amount of goods and services leaving the country is balancing at a reasonable level with the goods and services entering the country. Properly assessing the current trade balance for a given country provides key information about the overall economic health of that nation.
The most common method of determining the current trade balance is to determine a specific period to consider. Often the period will be three to six months, although it is not unusual for a full calendar year to be considered. Once the time frame is established, attention can turn to collecting figures related to the total amount of imported goods and services for the cited period.
After determining the cost of the goods and services that entered the country during the period, the next step is to identify the cost of the goods and services that were exported to other countries. The total cost of imports is subtracted from the total cost of exports to determine the current balance of trade.
Ideally, exports would exceed imports. This would mean that the country in question generated more income that remained in the country than was sent to other countries. A country that typically exports more than it imports is said to have a relatively healthy balance of trade and is likely to have a stable economy.
On the other hand, if imports exceed exports, more income leaves the country than enters. This can lead to a situation known as a deficit, and is not an indicator of a stable economy. When the balance of trade reflects a deficit rather than a surplus, steps must be taken to determine why more desirable goods and services are not being produced within the country and take steps to correct the situation if possible.
It is not unusual for the trade balance to fluctuate slightly from one period to the next. Many factors can affect the balance between imports and exports. Changes in governments and seasonal factors are two common factors that can cause a change in the balance of trade. Natural disasters can also create a shift in what is imported or exported, as this factor can drastically change the demand for various goods and services overnight.
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