Friday, July 6, 2018

Trade deficit drops to 1½-year low in May

The Commerce Department said on Friday the trade gap narrowed 6.6 percent to $43.1 billion, the smallest since October 2016.

Data for April was slightly revised to show the trade deficit falling to $46.1 billion, instead of the previously reported $46.2 billion.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the trade deficit declining to $43.7 billion in May. When adjusted for inflation, the trade gap narrowed to $75.3 billion, the lowest level since March 2017, from $77.5 billion in April.

The so-called real trade deficit in April and May was below its $82.5 billion average in the first quarter.

The politically sensitive goods trade deficit with China surged 18.7 percent to $33.2 billion in May. The deficit with Mexico jumped 18.8 percent.

In May, exports of goods and services rose 1.9 percent to a record $215.3 billion.

Imports of goods and services rose 0.4 percent to $258.4 billion in May..

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/06/trade-deficit-drops-to-1-year-low-in-may.html 

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