These surveys are critical to BEA’s ability to produce statistics on foreign direct investment in the United States. The statistics help policymakers and the general public understand the impact of foreign investment on the U.S. economy.

Therefore, it is vitally important that you waste no time in filling out your survey and getting it to us by the May 31 deadline.

We have a set of resources available to help you on our public Web site at www.bea.gov. From the front page, just click on the tab located on the left-hand side of the screen for information concerning eFile users and BE–12 respondents. Or just click on this link: www.bea.gov/surveys/respondent_be12_be15.htm.  From there, you will find:
• A series of online video tutorials that walk you through everything from setting up an eFile password and navigating the eFile system to answering questions on foreign ownership and selecting the appropriate industry classification code.
• A list of frequently asked questions—and their answers—about the various surveys.
• Guides to which survey you need to fill out as well as help sorting through the industry classification system.
• A link to our eFile system.
• PDF versions of the forms and instructions.
•  Contact information for additional assistance. You can call 202–606–5615 or email us at be12/15@bea.gov to connect with one of BEA’s survey experts.

Exports
Exports of goods and services decreased $1.7 billion in March to $184.3 billion reflecting a decrease in exports of goods. Exports of services increased.
• The decrease in exports of goods reflected decreases in nearly all major categories. The largest decrease was in foods, feeds, and beverages.
• The increase in exports of services reflected increases in several categories. The largest increase was in travel.

Imports
Imports of goods and services decreased $6.5 billion in March to $223.1 billion mostly reflecting a decrease in imports of goods. Imports of services also decreased.
• The decrease in imports of goods reflected decreases in most major categories. The largest decrease was in consumer goods.
• The decrease in imports of services was more than accounted for by a decrease in other transportation, which includes freight and port services; increases in travel and passenger fares largely offset this decrease.

Goods by geographic area (not seasonally adjusted)
• The goods deficit with Canada decreased from $2.5 billion in February to $2.3 billion in March. Exports increased $2.8 billion to $26.0 billion, while imports increased $2.6 billion to $28.3 billion.
• The goods deficit with China decreased from $23.4 billion in February to $17.9 billion in March. Exports increased $0.1 billion to $9.4 billion, while imports decreased $5.4 billion to $27.3 billion.
• The goods deficit with Mexico increased from $4.3 billion in February to $5.3 billion in March. Exports increased $0.3 billion to $18.0 billion, while imports increased $1.3 billion to $23.2 billion.

To learn more about U.S. international trade in goods and services, read the full report.

Personal income

Current-dollar disposable personal income (DPI), after-tax income, increased 0.2 percent in March after increasing 1.1 percent in February.

Real DPI, income adjusted for taxes and inflation, increased 0.3 percent in March after increasing 0.7 percent in February.

Real consumer spending, spending adjusted for price changes, increased 0.3 percent in March, the same increase as in February. Purchases of durable goods turned down slightly.

PCE prices decreased 0.1 percent in March after increasing 0.4 percent in February. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index remained flat in March after increasing 0.1 percent in February.

Personal saving rate
Personal saving as a percent of DPI was 2.7 percent in March, the same as in February.

To learn more about personal income and outlays, read the full report.