Lol, not too complicated for me, but proven to be too complicated for you in your #51. (And what I mailed you was US Census stats on US imports/exports/deficits by year and by end-use product code. Of course it's crap to you since it's actual data and not just made up generalities to support whatever you care to say).
#51 - I’m not sure about that, but I know that oil makes-up a significant portion of our trade deficit. We also export more than your typical protectionist cares to admit.
In my #86, I provide the data you should have provided to support your sweeping generalizations in your #51. Crude is 10% to 15% of total imports, and had been lower in earlier years of < $50 per barrel crude. It's hardly the factor that's driving our decades of trade deficits. And it's increase is more a function of price than volume in recent years. Our increasing deficits are being driven by our ever increasing levels of imported manufactured products, deficits that were approaching a trillion annually in 2006 and 2007 before the economic slowdown..
Here's a hint for you concerning our growing trade deficit:
Deficit with China 1986: -1,664.7
2008 -268,039.8
From less the two billion to 268 billion since 1986. And there are similar increases with other trading partners in our one-sided trade relationships where crude plays little or no part.
Hey Will, save your strength . . . I wasn't the guy to bring up imported oil to begin with. Please, please convince me that you're not that stupid to comprehend that you are arguing with the wrong guy.