China this year is expected to have the second biggest trading surplus with the United States after Japan.

Taiwan's trading surplus with the United States reached $4.98 billion in the first four months of this year, up from $3.86 billion a year earlier.

In agriculture, exports rose $300 million, while imports were about unchanged, to produce a trading surplus of $1.8 billion.

Today, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, with their strong commitment to R&D, run a trading surplus of almost £5bn.

We know for sure they're taking part of their trading surplus with us and using it to subsidize their computer industries.

Speeding up the growth is expected to attract more imports and lead to a reduction in Japan's huge trading surplus.

Over all, the Japanese trading surplus declined for 1987 by about $3 billion, to $79.8 billion, but the report still made currency traders nervous.

Also, Australia provides the United States with one of its only major trading surpluses.

Any trading surplus is used to maintain existing housing and to help finance new homes.

The profits of the company (also referred to as the trading surplus) must be invested in achieving these goals and not distributed to the company's members.