Glossary
Terms & Glossaries of Shipping and Trading
BOT (Balance of Trade)
The balance of trade is the difference between the monetary value of a nation's exports and imports over a certain time period. Sometimes a distinction is made between a balance of trade for goods versus one for services.
Balance of trade (BOT) is the difference between the value of a country's exports and the value of a country's imports for a given period. Balance of trade is the largest component of a country's balance of payments (BOP). Sometimes the balance of trade between a country's goods and the balance of trade between its services are distinguished as two separate figures.