balance of trade

SEE SYNONYMS FOR balance of trade ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the difference between the values of exports and imports of a country, said to be favorable or unfavorable as exports are greater or less than imports.

Origin of balance of trade

First recorded in 1660–70

Words nearby balance of trade

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British Dictionary definitions for balance of trade

balance of trade

noun

economics the difference in value between total exports and total imports of goods Also called: visible balance Compare invisible balance

Cultural definitions for balance of trade

balance of trade

That part of the balance of payments relating to goods only (as opposed to services, monetary movements, official reserve transactions, etc.).

notes for balance of trade

A nation whose imports are worth more than its exports is said to have an unfavorable balance of trade, or to be running a trade deficit.