European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday january 18, 1992 a the stars and stripes a Page 9record exports slash Trade deficit Washington a americans Trade deficit shrank dramatically to $3.57 billion in november the lowest imbalance in nearly nine years As Export sales climbed to an All time High the government said Friday. The Commerce department said the november deficit was Down 43.5 percent from a revised october deficit of $6.32 billion. The Sharp improvement reflected the fact that american Export sales climbed 0.9 percent to a record High of $37.46 billion besting the old Mark set the previous month. Imports which had surged to the second highest level on record in october fell by 5.5 percent in november to $41.03 billion As retailers Cut Back on orders in the face of sluggish demand. The Trade deficit is the difference Between what America Sells abroad and what it imports. The Good november showing guarantees that the deficit for the entire year will drop below the $100 billion Mark for the first time since 1983. For the first 11 months of the year the deficit is running at an annual rate of $64.7 billion compared with the 1991 total of $101.72 billion. Trade has been one of the few Bright spots for the american Economy Over the past three years and the Bush administration is counting on further gains in 1992 to help lift the country out of recession. However Many private economists arc forecasting that the deficit will begin rising again this year As growth in Many of americans most important foreign markets slows Down and . Consumer demand picks up. Economist David Wyss said he expected the Trade deficit to be Back above 100 billion by 1993. In an Effort to keep americans Export Boom alive president Bush embarked at the beginning of the year on an unprecedented Trade Mission to Japan and other countries. He won commitments from the japanese to buy More american made cars and Auto parts but critics Back Home dismissed the gains As tiny and unlikely to do Little to narrow the huge imbalance in Trade with Japan which accounts for two thirds of americans total deficit. The japanese deficit was an even larger 73 percent of the total november deficit although the $3.41 billion Gap was Down from a $4.64 billion deficit with Japan in october. The second highest deficit was recorded with China an imbalance of $1.34 billion in november. The Bush administration has embarked on a variety of initiatives to Force China to buy More american products and announced a breakthrough late thursday in one of those efforts. After a week of contentious bargaining . And chinese negotiators said they had agreed to a pact aimed at halt ing the piracy of american copyrights and patents. The $3.57 billion november deficit was the smallest monthly merchandise Trade imbalance since a $2.8 billion deficit in March 1983. The 0.9 percent Rise in exports came in m a big ii sales of american aircraft. Exp of ump of $750 million l lie  i Large part from in overseas Salt shipments of . Farm products were also up in the month rising $157 million. On the import Side there were big drops in a number of categories. Imports of autos fell by $750 million with the declines equally split Between Japan and Canada. Imports of semiconductors and other computer hardware fell by $250 million. Americans foreign Oil Bill fell 5.2 percent in november to $3.95 billion As the volume of shipments fell to 5.13 million barrels per Day Down from 5.69 million daily barrels shipped in october. The Price per barrel Rose however to $18.04 up from $17.98 the previous month. Vicenza unit to participate in exercises in Botswana Stuttgart Germany a a company of 3rd in 325th inf soldiers from Vicenza Italy is scheduled to begin a two week joint military exercise today in the african nation of Botswana with the Botswana defense forces. The Field exercise will include live fire Parachute jumps and patrol training. It is the first such joint exercise in Africa involving . Army Europe troops according to Navy cmdr. John Woodhouse a . European come spokesman. The americans Are participating at the invitation of Botswana a government. The associated press citing the .surplus sales information service As its source said the exercise is to involve about 300 . Troops and some of the training will occur in Gaborone capital of the pro Western nation. Gaborone is immediately North of the South african Border. Botswana which has about 1.2 million inhabitants is a landlocked country of desert swampland and Plains. The United states does not have a permanent military presence in Southern Africa. Washington covertly supported rebels against the soviet backed government in nearby Angola until a peace treaty ended the conflict last year. B-52s had new missiles Washington a the defense department disclosed thursday that b-52 bombers had attacked Iraq in the opening moments of operation desert storm with a new Type of cruise missile whose existence until now had been kept secret. Seven b-52s from the 2nd Wing of the 8th air Force armed with the cruise missiles took off from Barksdale fab la., at 7 35 . Est on Jan. 16, 1991. They fired 35 of the guided missiles at High priority targets inside Iraq in what the Pentagon called the longest air combat Mission in history. It was known that b-52s dropped tons of bombs on iraqi ground forces in Kuwait and Southern Iraq throughout the persian Gulf War but the Jan. 16 Mission was secret. It lasted 35 hours and covered 14,000 Miles with four Aerial ref clings. Pete Williams a Pentagon spokesman told reporters the b-52s were the first planes launched in the War. Until now it had been believed based on acknowledged . Warplane missions that f-117a stealth fighter bombers that attacked downtown Baghdad were the first to kick off the air Campaign. Hanau Germany a the defense re utilization and marketing office has announced upcoming sales in Germany. Id card holders Are invited to attend a household appliance Sale today in the gymnasium at Badener Hof Cavern in Heilbronn Germany. Appliances for Sale include refrigerators washers dryers and electric ranges. The Sale runs from 9 . To 1 . All purchases must be paid for in Cash and removed by 2 . On the Day of the Sale. No checks will be accepted. The Sale will be held in conjunction with the weekly warehouse furniture Sale at the same location. A Cash and carry Sale of Barracks Type furniture will be conducted Friday in building 455 on old Argonne Cavern in Hanau. Items for Sale include bunk Beds desks chairs wardrobes and other miscellaneous items. The Sale is open to id card holders from 9 . To 10 ., and to the Public from 10 . Until noon. All purchases must be made in dollars and removed by noon. No checks will be accepted. An to air special on of separation Frankfurt Germany a the american forces network television and radio will broadcast a 90-minute program wednesday aimed at providing information on the air Force voluntary separation programs. The program will feature United states air Force in Europe experts who will be on hand to answer questions concerning the air forces version of the voluntary separation incentive and special separation Benefit programs. As of Early Friday afternoon neither an nor Safe was Able to identify the experts who will answer questions and provide information for the program. The program will be simultaneously broadcast on an television and am and pm radio at 7 05 . Those interested can submit questions by fax to the Headquarters of an Europe prior to the program at ets 329-4300 or 069-15688-300. An to radio plan Short shutdown Frankfurt Germany a an to and radio will be off the air for up to two hours Early monday because of maintenance on the networks electrical systems officials said Friday. The maintenance will result in an tvs going off the air Between 2 . And 4 . In Belgium the Netherlands and Germany. Berlin viewers Are the Only ones who will be unaffected by the shutdown. They will be limited to local programming from the networks affiliate in the former divided City. All of the networks radio stations in Germany Belgium and the Netherlands will continue to broadcast except in Frankfurt. Listeners tuned to the am or pm stations in Frankfurt will be without reception for the two hour period. The network operates stations in Frankfurt Berlin Bremerhaven Kaiserslautern Munich Niernberg Stuttgart and Wurzburg in Germany. Affiliates also exist in shape Belgium and Oesterberg a  s Price increases ignite student riots Moscow apr thousands of students angered by soaring prices fought police and smashed shop windows in the capital of Uzbekistan reports said Friday. One student was killed and several people were seriously injured when police opened fire on the crowd an official source was quoted As saying Friday. The wounded in the thursday night riot in Tashkent included several militiamen the russian information Agency said. The riots occurred on the same Day that uzbek authorities freed prices and introduced food coupons. Students on Friday held several rallies and demanded revenge for the previous Days violence said Anvar Usmanov a Tashkent based journalist. A University president tried to address the students but was shouted Down he said. The students on thursday broke the windows of food stores displaying goods they said were now unaffordable said Alfred Baranov the Deputy chief of the uzbek news Agency a tag. They also overturned several cars and threw rocks at police the inter fax news Agency reported. Student activists called for the resignation of Uzbekistan a presi Dent islam Karimov. The rioting occurred in the so called University town a student Quarter in the Northwest of Tashkent. It was the worst disturbance reported since most of the former soviet republics lifted Price controls on Many goods earlier this month. And it was the first reported fatality. Russian president Boris Yeltsin lifted Price controls in Russia on Jan. 2, forcing most of the other former republics to take similar measures to keep russian shoppers from depleting their stocks of products. Yeltsin a action has unleashed fury among shoppers no longer Able to afford or find foodstuffs and goods. The Tashkent students tried to March to the Palace of the former republics president said Anvar Usmanov another Tashkent based journalist. He estimated the size of the crowd at 10,000. Police fired Blanks in the air but failed to disperse the students he said. Then police opened fire with live ammunition he said adding that witnesses reported seeing several people fall. Usmanov quoted a reliable official source As saying that one student was killed and two were badly wounded