Dec trade gap widens to biggest shortfall in 2 years

Washington

THE US trade deficit increased unexpectedly in December to a two-year high on a pickup in imports of motor vehicles and fewer shipments overseas.

The gap widened 17.1 per cent to US$46.6 billion, the biggest shortfall since November 2012, from a revised US$39.8 billion in November, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday in Washington.