Imports boost US trade deficit to nearly 2-1/2-year high in September
Trade deficit rises 19.2% to $84.4 billion in September
Imports jump 3.0%; exports decline 1.2%
Imports of goods and services were highest on record
By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON, Nov 5 (Reuters) -The U.S. trade deficit surged to nearly a 2-1/2-year high in September as businesses boosted imports to meet robust domestic demand and in anticipation of higher tariffs on goods.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has promised to impose a 60% tariff on Chinese goods and at least a 10% levy on all other imports if he wins Tuesday's election. Trump is locked in a tight race for the White House with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
"We expect imports to outpace exports in the short term, as investment in data centers and semiconductors supports capital goods imports and a strong consumer pushes retailers to build out inventories," said Matthew Martin, a senior U.S. economist at Oxford Economics.
"The outcome of the election could add upside risk to imports if businesses seek to pre-empt potential tariff increases in the event of a second Donald Trump presidency."
The trade gap increased 19.2% to $84.4 billion, the highest level since April 2022, from a revised $70.8 billion in August, with exports also falling during the period, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Tuesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the trade deficit would swell to $84.1 billion from the previously reported $70.4 billion in August.
Imports jumped 3.0% to a record $352.3 billion. Goods imports advanced 4.0% to $285.0 billion, the highest level since March 2022. They were driven by a $4.0 billion rise in imports of consumer goods, reflecting mostly pharmaceutical preparations.
Capital goods imports increased $2.8 billion to an all-time high, lifted by computers and semiconductors. Imports of industrial supplies and materials, which include crude oil, rose $2.2 billion. Imports of automotive vehicles, parts and engines gained $1.2 billion.
Food imports at $18.8 billion were the highest on record. But imports of services fell $0.6 billion to $67.3 billion, amid a $0.8 billion decline in charges for the use of intellectual property. Travel services imports fell $0.2 billion, but those of transport services rose $0.3 billion.
Exports dropped 1.2% to $267.9 billion. Goods exports fell 1.8% to $176.0 billion, weighed down by a decline of $1.9 billion in capital goods, mostly civilian aircraft. Consumer goods exports fell $1.4 billion amid a drop in pharmaceutical preparations.
Exports of industrial supplies and materials decreased $1.4 billion, with crude oil falling $1.3 billion and other petroleum products easing $0.5 billion.
Exports of services slipped $0.1 billion to $91.9 billion, reflecting a $0.2 billion dip in maintenance and repair services. Government goods and services increased $0.1 billion while transport services edged up $0.1 billion.
The goods trade deficit widened 14.9% to $109.0 billion, also the highest since March 2022. When adjusted for inflation, the goods trade deficit increased 13.1% to $100.1 billion.
The goods trade deficit with China widened to $26.9 billion from $24.7 billion in August.
Trade subtracted 0.56 percentage point from gross domestic product in the third quarter. It has been a drag on economic growth for three straight quarters. The economy grew at a 2.8% annualized rate in the July-September quarter.
Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Paul Simao
Senaste nytt
Ansvarsfriskrivning: XM Group-enheter tillhandahåller sin tjänst enbart för exekvering och tillgången till vår onlinehandelsplattform, som innebär att en person kan se och/eller använda tillgängligt innehåll på eller via webbplatsen, påverkar eller utökar inte detta, vilket inte heller varit avsikten. Denna tillgång och användning omfattas alltid av i) villkor, ii) riskvarningar och iii) fullständig ansvarsfriskrivning. Detta innehåll tillhandahålls därför uteslutande som allmän information. Var framför allt medveten om att innehållet på vår onlinehandelsplattform varken utgör en uppmaning eller ett erbjudande om att ingå några transaktioner på de finansiella marknaderna. Handel på alla finansiella marknader involverar en betydande risk för ditt kapital.
Allt material som publiceras på denna sida är enbart avsett för utbildnings- eller informationssyften och innehåller inte – och ska inte heller anses innehålla – rådgivning och rekommendationer om finansiella frågor, investeringsskatt eller handel, dokumentation av våra handelskurser eller ett erbjudande om, eller en uppmaning till, en transaktion i finansiella instrument eller oönskade finansiella erbjudanden som är riktade till dig.
Tredjepartsinnehåll, liksom innehåll framtaget av XM såsom synpunkter, nyheter, forskningsrön, analyser, kurser, andra uppgifter eller länkar till tredjepartssajter som återfinns på denna webbplats, tillhandahålls i befintligt skick, som allmän marknadskommentar, och utgör ingen investeringsrådgivning. I den mån som något innehåll tolkas som investeringsforskning måste det noteras och accepteras att innehållet varken har varit avsett som oberoende investeringsforskning eller har utarbetats i enlighet med de rättsliga kraven för att främja ett sådant syfte, och därför är att betrakta som marknadskommunikation enligt tillämpliga lagar och föreskrifter. Se till så att du har läst och förstått vårt meddelande om icke-oberoende investeringsforskning och riskvarning om ovannämnda information, som finns här.
