Economics
U.S. Merchandise-Trade Deficit Widens to Biggest on Record
- Automotive-vehicle imports retreat 10.7%, the most since May
- Total trade falls for first time since May due to bottlenecks
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The U.S. merchandise-trade deficit widened to the biggest on record in February as imports dropped from an all-time high and exports retreated by a larger margin.
The deficit grew to $86.7 billion from a revised $84.6 billion in January, according to Commerce Department data released Friday. Economists in a Bloomberg survey had called for an $86 billion shortfall in February. Imports fell 1.4% to $216.9 billion, while exports decreased 3.8% to $130.1 billion, the first drop since May.