US Merchandise-Trade Deficit Widened to Record Ahead of Trump
- December shortfall in goods expanded 18% to $122.1 billion
- Higher imports may suggest firms trying to front-run tariffs
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The US merchandise-trade deficit widened in December to a record as the value of imports increased, highlighting a key issue that President Donald Trump aims to rectify in his second term.
The shortfall in goods expanded 18% to $122.1 billion, Commerce Department data showed Wednesday. The figure, which isn’t adjusted for inflation, exceeded all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists.