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2026-11-04 22:32:25
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed slightly in September, with merchandise exports rising to a four-month high. Data released Wednesday by the Commerce Department showed the trade deficit in goods and services narrowed 0.7% from the previous month to $105 billion. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was $107.9 billion. Monthly trade data, unadjusted for inflation, has been highly volatile, influenced by factors such as tariffs, rising oil prices, and supply chain disruptions. Exports rose 1.9%, primarily driven by increased capital goods exports. Imports rose 1.2%. Capital goods imports increased by a record $11.6 billion from the previous month. This category includes computers and accessories, semiconductors, and telecommunications equipment. U.S. companies are making large purchases of imported technology equipment to expand their artificial intelligence capabilities. Meanwhile, imports of industrial goods, including oil and petroleum products, fell by $3.7 billion from the previous month. The report showed that the U.S. imported fewer barrels of crude oil than the previous month. Exports of industrial goods decreased by $1 billion.
