Source: The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce.
Release Time: 8:30 ET around the 20th of the month (data for two months prior).
Raw Data Available At: https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/press.html
The trade balance of a country is the difference in the value of its imports and exports. Export data can give an important reflection of U.S. growth. Imports provide an indication of domestic demand, but this figure is late relative to other consumption indicators.
The Trade Balance release influences GDP forecasts. Net exports are a relatively volatile component of GDP. Trade Balance gives an early indication of the net export performance each quarter.