The balance of trade (BOT) is the difference between the value of a country’s imports and exports over a given period and is the largest component of a country’s balance of payments (BOP).
A country that imports more goods and services than it exports in value terms has a trade deficit, and a country that exports more goods and services than it imports has a trade surplus.
By itself, a favorable trade balance is not enough to assess the health of the economy. It is important to consider the balance of trade in relation to other economic indicators, business cycles and other indicators.
The United States regularly runs a trade deficit, while China usually runs a large trade surplus.
An absolute advantage is when a manufacturer can provide a greater quantity of a product or service for the same price or the same quantity at a lower price than its competitors.
Autarky refers to a state of self-sufficiency and is commonly used to describe countries or economies that seek to reduce their dependence on international trade.
The Bretton Woods Agreement and the system created a collective international currency exchange regime that operated from the mid-1940s to the early 1970s.
Cross elasticity of demand is an economic concept that measures the response of the quantity demanded of one good to a change in the price of another good.
Desperate workers are workers who have stopped looking for work because they did not find suitable employment options or were not shortlisted when applying for a job.
The causes of employee frustration are complex and varied.
Dollarization is when a country begins to recognize the US dollar as a medium of exchange or legal tender, along with or instead of the national currency.
Durable Goods Orders is a large-scale monthly survey conducted by the US Census Bureau that measures current industrial activity and is used by investors as an economic indicator.
The Dutch disease is a short description of the paradox that occurs when good news, such as the discovery of large oil reserves, wreaks havoc on a country’s economy as a whole.