January exports rose 11.5 percent from a year earlier, to $19.32 billion, and imports climbed 12.7 percent, to $16.07 billion.

Exports in May rose 4.9 percent from the previous year, to $21.67 billion, while imports climbed 15.7 percent, to $17.89 billion.

In the aggregate, the report today also showed, imports of goods and services climbed $400 million, to a record $69.8 billion, the sixth consecutive advance.

Exports were up 14.3 percent, the fastest growth rate since 1995, while imports climbed 12.4 percent.

By the end of June, with oil prices averaging less than $17 for the year, imports climbed to 41 percent of the nation's daily consumption.

Exports rose 9.6 percent from a year earlier, to $11.61 billion, while imports climbed 28.8 percent, to $9.99 billion.

Exports tumbled 11.5 percent from May while imports climbed 9.9 percent.

These imports averaged around 100,000 tons annually but climbed to a peak of nearly 900,000 tons in 1980.

Exports rose 28.2 percent from a year earlier, to $78.05 billion, while imports climbed 21.3 percent, to $66.86 billion.

American exports have nearly doubled during the last decade, but imports have climbed even faster.