Balance of trade

Balance of trade is entry in the balance of payments measuring the difference between the monetary value of merchandise exports and merchandise imports.

Balance of trade is the difference between the dollar value of a nation’s exports and the dollar value of its imports for a stated period of time.

Balance of trade is the difference (expressed in monetary terms) between the amount a country exports and the amount it imports. A nation that exports more than it imports has a trade surplus; one that imports more than it exports has a trade deficit.