Can Chinese Consumers Replace America'sInternational trade data could show whether anybody else in the world is ready to replace the U.S. consumer as a global growth engine.The Census Bureau is due to release March trade data on Tuesday.Economists, on average, think the U.S. recorded yet another trade deficit and that the gap widened to $29.7 billion from a surprising 1O-year low of $26 billion in February.Since imports subtract from gross domestic product and exports add to it, a smaller trade gap-fewer imports and more exports-is generally good for the economy.February's relatively skinny deficit-which was less than half the size of the gap in October 2008-was driven partly by falling oil imports and an unexpected surge in exports.
