What defines 'trade balance'?

The concept of 'trade balance' refers to the difference between a country’s exports and imports. When a country exports more than it imports, it has a trade surplus, indicating that it sells more goods and services to foreign markets than it buys from them. Conversely, if imports exceed exports, the country has a trade deficit. This measure is crucial for understanding a country’s economic position in international trade and can impact currency valuation, employment rates, and domestic production levels.

The other options relate to different economic concepts. Total revenue from exports pertains specifically to the income generated from what a country sells abroad rather than the net balance of trade. Net income from foreign investments defines the gains from international investments, which falls outside the scope of trade specifically between nations. The measure of currency value against other currencies focuses on exchange rates, rather than the flow of goods and services that trade balance evaluates. Hence, the correct definition of trade balance is distinctly the difference between exports and imports.