Increase in U.S. Imports, Exports Signal Global Pickup

The trade deficit unexpectedly widened in November as U.S. imports jumped almost four times more than exports, gains that signal a rebound in global growth.

The gap swelled 15.8 percent to $48.7 billion, the largest since April, Commerce Department data showed today in Washington. The shortfall exceeded all projections in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Imports reflected record demand for consumer goods, while U.S. companies benefitted from more overseas sales of equipment such as telecommunications gear.