When we include the effect of rising imports as well, net exports subtracted more than 2 percentage points from GDP growth over this period, and our trade deficit on goods and services widened to about $ billion at an annual rate in the second quarter. I should emphasize that not all of the effects on our economy of the Asian crisis have been adverse.
Low prices this year of energy and other internationally traded commodities, including many agricultural commodities such as soybeans and wheat, have benefited much of our nation -- although certainly not our oil industry or our farmers. Those low prices reflect, in part, a decline in the demand from Asia.