President Obama speaks at the Export-Import Bank's annual conference in Washington

2010-03-11T15:33:30Z

WASHINGTON - MARCH 10: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to the Export-Import Bank's annual conference March 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. Obama said he watned to double U.S. exports. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images)

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US wine exports fall 15 percent in 2009

2010-03-12T15:15:14Z

<div id="subtitle">Europeans buy less US wine in 2009, but increased exports to Hong Kong, China prop up market</div><div><p>People worldwide are still buying U.S. wine in a tight economy, although exports were down in 2009 from 2008's record-setting year.</p><p>U.S. wine exports dropped nearly 15 percent last ye...

US brushes aside notion of protectionism in tanker contract

2010-03-12T14:15:57Z

<div><p>The Pentagon on Friday dismissed suggestions of protectionism in a massive contract for aerial refuelling tankers and said US officials "value the contribution" of the European defense industry.</p><p>Ashton Carter, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, spoke after French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the Pentagon was favoring rival American bidder

Obama issues new call on China over yuan

2010-03-11T18:15:48Z

<div><p>President Barack Obama called on China to embrace a "market oriented" exchange rate, upping US pressure on the yuan at a time of turmoil in Washington's delicate relations with Beijing.</p><p>Obama,...

Jobless claims fall, trade gap narrows on oil

2010-03-11T14:00:12Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell only slightly last week, indicating a sluggish return to jobs growth. The U.S. trade gap shrank as oil imports fell.</p><p>Thursday's reports painted a picture of an economy that was slowly improving, frustrating efforts by U.S. trade deficit narrowed to $37.3 billion in January, a decline of 6.6 percent from December, reflecting a big drop in imports as shipments of foreign oil and autos both declined.</p><p>EXPORTS: U.S. exports dip 0.3 percent as demand for commercial aircraft drops, but the...

Obama outlines strategy to boost exports

2010-03-11T12:30:27Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, anxious to spur growth and cut high unemployment, laid out a plan on Thursday to double U.S. exports through tougher enforcement of trade laws, increased government advocacy and more credit assistance for small and medium-sized companies.</p><p>Obama also prodded US trade deficit narrowed unexpectedly in January as imports and exports declined and overall volume fell for the first time in five months, the government reported Thursday.</p><p>The Commerce Department said the trade deficit shrank to a seasonally adjusted 37.3 billion dollars, from a downwardly revised 39.9 billion...

US trade gap narrows on falling imports

2010-03-11T07:16:25Z

<div><p>The US trade deficit narrowed unexpectedly in January as volume fell for the first time in five months, led by a drop in imports, the government reported Thursday.</p><p>The Commerce Department said the trade deficit shrank to a seasonally adjusted 37.3 billion dollars, down from a revised 39.9 billion dollars in December....

Economy

2010-03-11T06:16:52Z

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2009 file photo, imported cars are seen stored in a lot after being offloaded from a ship at Port Hueneme, Calif. The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly shrank in January, 2010, reflecting a big drop in imports of oil and foreign cars. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, file)

Jan trade gap narrows unexpectedly due to oil

2010-03-11T06:15:10Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit narrowed unexpectedly in January as oil imports fell to their lowest since February 1999, a government report showed on Thursday.</p><p>The trade gap shrank 6.6 percent to $37.3 billion, the Commerce Department s...

Ahead of the Bell: Trade deficit expected to widen

2010-03-11T03:16:40Z

<div id="subtitle">Trade deficit likely widened slightly in January reflecting higher foreign oil bill</div><div><p>The U.S. trade deficit likely widened slightly in January reflecting a higher foreign oil bill and a drop in aircraft exports.</p><p>Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the trade deficit increased to $41 billion, a 2 percent increase from December. The...

US Congress pushes reforms in Pacific trade deal

2010-03-10T19:17:26Z

<div><p>US President Barack Obama's administration is under pressure from Congress to emphasize labor rights, democratic values and market reforms in talks to forge a trans-Pacific trade deal.</p><p>Obama's top trade official Ron Kirk met lawmakers for consultations Wednesday ahead of negotiations for the United States is unhappy with the current framework of the Doha Round of negotiations to forge a global trade accord, a key lawmaker said Wednesday after talks with WTO chief Pascal Lamy.</p><p>Bu...

Republican Bunning stirs anger with WTO block

2010-03-10T15:15:22Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican senator who held up action earlier this month on a bill to renew jobless benefits faced more criticism on Wednesday for blocking approval of President Barack Obama's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization.</p><...

Google chief sees outcome "soon" in China row

2010-03-10T14:15:32Z

<div><p>ABU DHABI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google expects an outcome soon from its talks with China over a censorship and hacking dispute, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Wednesday.</p><p>Google threatened...

WTO chief holds talks with US officials, lawmakers

2010-03-10T11:16:36Z

<div><p>WTO chief Pascal Lamy was in Washington Wednesday for talks with US officials and lawmakers amid an uphill effort to wrap up the long-running Doha Round of global trade talks by this year.</p><p>Lamy met with US Trea...

Lula calls on Obama to resolve trade dispute

2010-03-10T11:16:35Z

<div><p>Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called Wednesday on President Barack Obama to put his weight behind a quick resolution to a US-Brazilian trade dispute.</p><p>Brasilia on Monday announced it would raise tariffs on imported Ame...

China February exports jump 45.7 percent

2010-03-10T06:45:16Z

<div id="subtitle">China's February exports jump 45.7 percent from a year as global demand recovers</div><div><p>China's exports rose in February in a new sign of growing global demand that could help persuade officials to let the Chinese currency rise.</p><p>Exports were up 45.7 percent over a year earlier, the Chinese customs agency reported Wednesday, b...

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