Doing business with world benefits US

Trade figures don't capture investment earnings, local sales

Washington's use of US bilateral trade deficit figures alone with China and its other trade partners as a justification for raising tariffs fails to account for important benefits that actually mean the overall economic relationship favors the US, experts said.

In reality, thanks to the huge investment and profits that US companies deploy and collect worldwide, including in China, the world's top economy actually has a decent surplus in its combined trade and investment relationships, analysts said.