US Merchandise-Trade Deficit Unexpectedly Widens on Exports Drop

The US merchandise-trade deficit unexpectedly widened in May on the biggest drop in exports since the onset of the pandemic, while imports were little changed.

The shortfall in goods trade grew 11.1% to $96.6 billion, Commerce Department data showed Thursday. The figure was larger than the $86.1 billion median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists.