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The Commerce Department said on Friday the trade gap increased
1.3 percent to $54.0 billion, widening for a fourth straight
month. Data for August was revised to show the trade deficit
rising to $53.3 billion instead of the previously reported $53.2
billion.
The trade deficit continues to deteriorate despite the Trump
administration's protectionist trade policy, which has left the
United States locked in a bitter trade war with China as well as
tit-for-tat tariffs with other trade partners, including the
European Union, Canada and Mexico.
The politically sensitive goods trade deficit with China jumped
4.3 percent to a record high of $40.2 billion in September.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the overall trade
deficit rising to $53.6 billion in September.
When adjusted for inflation, the goods trade gap increased to an
all-time high of $87.0 billion in September from $86.3 billion
in August.
The government reported last week that the trade deficit
subtracted 1.78 percentage points from gross domestic product in
the third quarter. That was the most since the second quarter of
1985 and reversed the 1.22 percentage points contribution in the
April-June period.
In September, imports of goods and services increased 1.5
percent to $266.6 billion, an all-time high. Imports of capital
goods such as telecommunications equipment, civilian aircraft
engines and computers were the highest on record.
There were also increases in imports of toys, cell phones,
apparel and household goods.
Exports of goods and services rose 1.5 percent to $212.6 billion
in September. Exports were lifted by shipments of industrial
supplies and materials, which were the highest on record.
Soybean exports decreased by $0.7 billion in September.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani Editing by Paul Simao)
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