Skip to content
Markets
Economics

U.S. Merchandise-Trade Gap Widens to Record as Imports Surge

  • Deficit grew to $97.8 billion, led by all-time high in imports
  • Large shortfall reflects solid demand, business investment
Shipping containers at the Port of Newark in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

Shipping containers at the Port of Newark in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg
By

Updated on

The U.S. merchandise-trade deficit widened to a record in November as imports surged to an all-time high.

The gap increased to $97.8 billion last month from a revised $83.2 billion in October, according to Commerce Department data released Wednesday. The figure exceeded all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The data aren’t adjusted for inflation.