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U.S. trade deficit rises to highest level since January

Containers wait to be unloaded from a ship at the Port of Baltimore on Oct. 24, 2016.
(Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)
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The U.S. trade deficit rose in April to its highest level since January. The politically sensitive trade gap with China registered a sharp increase.

The Commerce Department said Friday that the U.S. trade gap in goods and services climbed 5.2% to $47.6 billion in April from March. Exports dropped 0.3% to $191 billion, pulled down by a drop in automotive exports. Imports rose 0.8% to $238.6 billion as Americans bought more foreign-made cellphones and other consumer goods.

A widening trade deficit is a drag on economic growth. President Trump made the trade gap — the difference between exports and imports — a centerpiece of his campaign for the White House. His administration has vowed to reduce the deficit, blaming it on abusive practices by America’s trading partners.

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The deficit in goods with China rose by 12.4% to $27.6 billion in April.

So far this year, the trade deficit is up 13.4% from a year earlier, to $186.6 billion. Exports are up 6.1% to $765.6 billion this year, but imports are up more — 7.5% to $952.2 billion. So far in 2017, the United States is running a $268.7-billion deficit in goods and an $82.1-billion surplus in services such as banking and tourism.

Trump recently has singled out Germany for criticism, saying it is unfairly benefiting from a weak euro. When a country’s currency is weak, its products enjoy a price advantage in foreign markets. The trade deficit with Germany rose 4.3% in April, to $5.5 billion.

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