U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY SAYS EXPORT RISE NEEDED Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige said after the release of a sharply lower January leading indicator index that a pickup in exports is needed. "The best tonic for the economy now would be a pickup in net exports," he said in a statement after the department reported the index fell 1.0 pct in January from December, the sharpest drop since a 1.7 pct fall in July, 1984. The main reasons for the January decline after a 2.3 pct December rise were declines in building permits, new orders for plant and equipment and for consumer and industrial goods.