US trade deficit unexpectedly falls to lowest since 2009

US trade deficit unexpectedly falls to lowest level since 2009

American imports fell to $331.4 billion in October, while exports increased to $302 billion. That yielded an October deficit of $29.4 billion, an imbalance nearly 40% smaller than September’s.

Analysts polled by The Wall Street Journal had been expecting to see a $58.4 billion deficit—a large forecasting miss. Like much other recent economic data, the trade figures were delayed by last fall’s government shutdown.