HEADLINES FOR US TRADE
*U.S. Jan trade deficit widens 15.4% to $28.5 bln
*U.S. Jan goods/services imports +3.6%; exports -0.1%
*U.S. Dec trade deficit revised to $24.7 bln from $25.3 bln
*U.S. Jan goods trade gap $34.1 bln; Dec revised to $31.0 bln
*U.S. Jan oil imports +11.1%; non-oil imports +2.9%
*U.S. Jan trade gap with Japan $4.8 bln; Dec $5.0 bln
*U.S. Jan trade gap with China $6.9 bln; Dec $5.5 bln
*U.S. Jan trade deficit with Euro Area $3.9 bln; Dec $3.4 bln
*U.S. Jan trade deficit with OPEC nations $2.6 bln; Dec $2.0 bln
*U.S. Jan imported crude petroleum $16.31 per barrel

Washington, Mar. 19 (OsterDowJones) The U.S. trade deficit widened in January, expanding 15.4% to $28.5 billion as December's deficit was revised to $24.7 billion, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.
* * * The January trade gap reflected a $34.1 billion shortfall in goods and a $5.6 billion surplus in services. Goods exports fell as weaker demands for consumer goods offset increases in capital goods and automotive goods. Goods imports rose as stronger demands for consumer goods, capital goods, and industrial materials offset decreases in automotive goods.
For the entire year, goods and services trade deficit narrowed 14.8% from the deficit of $33.5 the same time frame in 2001.
Analysts estimated the gap would increase $27.1 billion.
OIL
Increasing prices of oil deteriorated the U.S. trade position. In January, imported crude averaged $16.31 per barrel, up from December's $15.51. Overall, oil imports climbed a seasonally adjusted 6.2%. The volume rose to an average 9.7 million barrels per day from 9.1 million the prior reporting period.
IMPORTS
U.S. goods and services imports grew 3.6% in January to $106.486 billion. Excluding petroleum, U.S. goods imports were up 2.9% to a seasonally adjusted $82.226 billion.
EXPORTS
U.S. goods and services exports contracted 0.1% in January to $77.968 billion.
Excluding petroleum, U.S. goods imports were down 0.1% to a seasonally adjusted $54.742 billion.

WHAT WAS EXPECTED
The January trade deficit was within analysts' expectations, which ranged from $31.0 to $26.0 billion. The median estimate for the goods deficit was $32.4, with a range of 32.6 billion to $32.0 billion.
US TRADE WITH SELECTED COUNTRIES
The report showed the politically sensitive U.S. trade gap with Japan in January narrowed 5.2% to $4.8 billion from December's $5.0 million. U.S. deficit with China increased to $6.9 billion from December's $5.5 billion.
The trade gap with euro-area countries widened to $3.9 billion in January from $3.4 billion one month earlier.