The difference between United States exports and imports grew by $48.8 billion, or 3.6 percent, in December, according to the Department of Commerce.
Exports were $178.8 billion, up $1.2 billion from November. And imports were $227.6 billion, up $3 billion over the month.
The three-month average trade deficit in December was $46.3 billion.
For all of 2011, exports of $2.1 trillion and imports of $2.6 trillion resulted in a trade deficit of $558 billion, an increase of $58 billion from 2010’s deficit of $500 billion.
