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發表於 2006-9-18 20:52:49
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The US current account deficit widened to 218.4 bln USD
The US current account deficit widened to 218.4 bln USD in the second quarter, up 2.4 % from the previous 3- month period.
The deficit amounted to 6.6% of the nation’s GDP and was wider than the 213.5 bln usd gap predicted by analysts.
For the first half of 2006, the current account deficit grew 12.1 pct to 431.6 bln USD, totaling a 6.6% of GDP.
The deficit in the first quarter was revised to 213.2 bln USD, compared with the initial estimate of 208.7 bln USD which, makes the situation worse.
The current account deficit is the broadest measure of the nation’s economic balance sheet with the rest of the world. It encompasses both trade and capital flows.
The current account deficit measures the nation’s debt with the rest of the world which, can only be financed by loans from abroad or asset sales to foreigners.
A lot of economists are worried that foreign investors will lose their appetite for US assets, causing the dollar to fall sharply and forcing interest rates higher to attract the required investment. However, the current account gap has in fact widened for the past decade without any sign of real difficulties, leading others to believe that the fears are somehow over exaggerated. |
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