Question

In recent decades, has the U.S. trade balance usually been in deficit, surplus, or balanced?

Short answer

In recent decades, the U.S. trade balance has usually been in deficit, meaning the value of imports has been higher than the value of exports.

Step-by-step solution

Understand Trade Balance

Trade balance is the difference between the value of a country's exports and the value of its imports. A trade surplus occurs when the value of a country's exports is greater than that of its imports, while a trade deficit occurs when the value of imports is greater than that of exports.

Research U.S. Trade Balance Trends

To determine the status of the U.S. trade balance in recent decades, we can refer to historical data and trends from reliable sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis or World Bank.

Analyze the Data

After reviewing the historical data, we can see that the U.S. trade balance has mostly been in deficit in recent decades, with a few exceptions in the early 90s. This indicates that the U.S. has been importing more goods and services than it has been exporting.

Conclusion

In recent decades, the U.S. trade balance has usually been in deficit, which means the value of imports has been higher than the value of exports.