The deficit on the US current account, the broadest measure of trade and investment flows, hit a new record high of $856.7 billion last year, according to the Commerce Department.
The bigger figure was in line with a record trade deficit for 2006 of $764 billion, and compared with a current account gap of $791.5 billion in 2005.
But for the fourth quarter of 2006, the deficit on the current account shrank to $195.8 billion, from $229.4 billion in the previous three months.
Overall in 2006, the deficit came to 6.5% of US gross domestic product, up from 6.4% in 2005.
