Morocco H1 c/a surplus up 72 pct, trade gap widens

(Reuters) - Morocco's trade deficit grew in the first half of 2007 as a construction boom increased demand for foreign building materials and equipment, the North African country's Exchange Office said on Friday.

However, the current account surplus, boosted by increases in remittances from Moroccans abroad and tourism receipts, rose by 72 percent year-on-year.


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Australia's June Trade Deficit Probably Widened on Rising Imports, Storm

(Bloomberg) -- Australia's trade deficit probably
widened in June as a storm disrupted coal exports and imports
increased to a record.

The trade gap widened to A$1.2 billion ($1 billion) from
A$807 million in May, according to the median estimate of 24
economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The Bureau of Statistics
will release the report tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. in Sydney.


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South Africa eyes import tariff cuts to aid manufacturing

(Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday his government may cut tariffs on some imported equipment and goods in a bid to boost the manufacturing sector and make it more competitive internationally.

In a briefing to discuss the outcome of a mid-year meeting of his cabinet and other senior officials, Mbeki said a healthier manufacturing sector was critical to the government's efforts to narrow the country's trade deficit.


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UPDATE 1-US May net long-term capital inflows hit record

(Reuters) - May's net overall capital inflow amply covered the U.S.
trade deficit for the month, which was $60 billion.




In April, overall capital inflows were $97.8 billion.


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WRAPUP 2-U.S. trade gap widens on oil, jobless claims fall

(Reuters) - WASHINGTON, July 12 - The U.S. trade deficit
widened in May as rising oil prices pushed imports to an
all-time high, outstripping record exports, a government report
showed on Thursday.




A separate weekly report showed the number of Americans
applying for first-time jobless benefits fell more than
expected, suggesting continued labor market strength.


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U.S. Senator Grassley Says Henry Paulson Has `Pussyfooted' on China's Yuan

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
has ``pussyfooted'' on the issue of the yuan, which hasn't risen
``fast enough,'' said Senator Charles Grassley, who's calling for
a bill to counter the benefits Chinese exporters are getting.

The law on determining currency manipulation ``gives the
secretary of Treasury too much leeway,'' Grassley said in an
interview from Washington yesterday. Some U.S. legislators deem
the yuan's 9.4 percent gain since the end of a dollar link in
July 2005 as insufficient to narrow the trade deficit with China.


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April trade gap shrinks more than expected

(Reuters) - The Commerce Department also revised its estimate of the
2006 trade deficit to $758.5 billion, from a previously
reported $765.3 billion.




U.S. exports rose slightly to a record $129.5 billion. The
0.2 percent increase partly reflected a $3 billion upward
revision in March exports to $129.2 billion.


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