Trade deficit widens to four-month high as US exports drop

Washington

THE trade deficit in the US widened in September as exports cooled from a record, highlighting how weakening global growth will affect the world's largest economy.

The gap grew by 7.6 per cent to US$43 billion, the largest since May, from US$40 billion in August, Commerce Department figures showed on Tuesday in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of 68 economists called for a deficit of US$40.2 billion. Exports decreased by the most since February, reflecting slowing demand from Europe, Latin America and Japan.