<P> The balance of trade, commercial balance, or net exports (sometimes symbolized as NX), is the difference between the monetary value of a nation's exports and imports over a certain period . Sometimes a distinction is made between a balance of trade for goods versus one for services . "Balance of trade" can be a misleading term because trade measures a flow of exports and imports over a given period of time, rather than a balance of exports and imports at a given point in time . Also, balance of trade does not mean that exports and imports are "in balance" with each other or anything else . </P> <P> If a country exports a greater value than it imports, it has a trade surplus or positive balance, and conversely, if a country imports a greater value than it exports, it has a trade deficit or negative balance . The notion that bilateral trade deficits are bad in and of themselves is overwhelmingly rejected by trade experts and economists . </P>

The total value of a nation's exports compared to its imports