US trade deficit widened by 33% in 2010
 

The US trade deficit ballooned in 2010 by the largest amount seen in a decade, Commerce Department figures have shown.

The trade deficit - the difference between imports and exports - hit $497.8bn (£311bn) last year, up 32.8% on the year before, the biggest annual percentage gain since 2000.

Imports from China hit record levels, totalling $364.9bn for the year.

For the month of December, the deficit widened by 5.9% to $40.6bn, after a rise in the price for imported oil.

This rise was also a factor in the widening annual deficit, with the average price of imported oil increasing from $56.93 a barrel in 2009 to $74.66 in 2010.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12431066

Note: 11 February 2011 Last updated at 14:48 GMT