Web-Based Questions

1. Web-Based Question: The U.S. balance on goods and services-what are the latest figures? The U.S. Census Bureau reports the latest data on U.S. trade in goods and services at its website www.census.gov/indicator/www/ustrade.html. Over the past month, has the trade balance in goods and services improved (that is, yielded a smaller deficit or a larger surplus) or deteriorated? Is the relative trade strength of the United States compared to the rest of the world in goods or in services? Which product groups had the largest increases in exports? Which had the largest increases in imports?



2. Web-Based Question: The yen-dollar exchange rate The Federal Reserve Board of Governors provides exchange rates for various currencies for the last decade at www.federalreserve.gov/releases ("Foreign Exchange Rates"; "Historical Data"). Has the dollar appreciated, depreciated, or remained constant relative to the Canadian dollar, the European euro, the Japanese yen, the Swedish krona, and the Swiss franc over the past 5 years?