The surplus is growing annually and adding to global trade tensions.

The surplus has grown, and the $24 million has become a smaller share of the total.

For all of 2002, the surplus grew 34 percent, the first expansion in four years.

The current surplus in the trust fund exceeds $10 billion and is growing each year.

The surplus on services grew slightly to $16.2 billion from $16 billion.

Moreover, the bilateral surplus with America is also growing rapidly.

Taiwan's surplus in trade with the United States grew 18.5 percent, to $16 billion.

And that surplus, he says, will probably grow in the years ahead under the spending levels set by the bill.

The surplus could grow to more than $12 billion by the end of the year, economists said.

The surplus with fast-growing countries in southern and eastern Asia grew about 33 percent, to $37.4 billion.