WASHINGTON–The U.S. trade deficit in home goods deepened in January, rising 6.9 percent over the month before, a much higher pace than the nation’s entire deficit in goods and services.
The U.S. Commerce Department reported this morning that the deficit, or imbalance between imports and exports of 15 categories of home products, reached nearly $2.56 billion, compared with $2.4 billion in December 2007.
On a national level, the deficit grew 0.5 percent, to $58.2 billion.
On a category level, the deficit increased for metal household furniture, soft window treatments, electric housewares and fans, household cooking appliances, refrigerators and freezers, soft floor coverings and tabletop.
The deficit decreased for upholstery, mattresses, hard window treatments, lighting fixtures, vacuum cleaners, laundry equipment and other major appliances.