[FONT="]TRADE POLICY REVIEWS: FIRST PRESS RELEASE, SECRETARIAT AND GOVERNMENT SUMMARIES

[FONT="]United States: October 1996

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[FONT="]The United States continues to be the world's largest trading nation in exports and imports of goods and services. Over the past decade, trade has become increasingly important for the U.S. economy with the ratio of trade to GDP in 1995 reaching 23.6 per cent, up from 17.2 per cent in 1985 and 20.6 per cent in 1990.

[FONT="]PRESS RELEASE

[FONT="]PRESS/TPRB/46

[FONT="]31 October 1996