U.S. Trade Gap Widens Slightly

June 10, 2010
Deficit with China grows 14.3% to $19.3 billion

The U.S. trade deficit widened slightly in April amid a decline in exports and imports that halted a 10-month trend of trade growth accompanying economic recovery, government data showed Thursday.

The trade gap was up to $40.3 billion from a revised $40.0 billion in March, the Commerce Department said in a report.

Most economists had expected the deficit to rise to $41.3 billion.

Total U.S. trade with the world declined 0.5% from March to $337.9 billion as both exports and imports declined, halting the previous trend of growing trade volumes.

April exports dipped to $148.8 billion and imports to $189.1 billion. Both fell by less than 1%.

The trade deficit with Canada, the largest U.S. trading partner, widened 35.2% to $2.9 billion in April while the deficit with Mexico, the second largest export destination and third largest import source, narrowed $11.9 to $5.3 billion.

The politically sensitive trade deficit with China widened 14.3% to $19.3 billion while the deficit with Japan narrowed 9.4% to $4.8 billion.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010

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