The US trade gap narrowed unexpectedly in September to the smallest since 2020, delayed government data showed today, as imports rose just slightly while President Donald Trump's new tariffs set in.
The overall trade deficit fell 10.9% in September to $52.8 billion, the lowest since mid-2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This came as exports rose 3% to $289.3 billion, while imports edged up 0.6%, the Commerce Department said.
The trade figures are the latest in a series of government economic reports postponed due to a record-long government shutdown between October and mid-November.
This had left officials and companies to navigate policy and business decisions without key indicators on the health of world's biggest economy.
Trump's tariff hikes on dozens of US trading partners hit the imports to the country in August as well.
Trade flows have been heavily swayed this year by the president's fast-changing tariffs, as importers rushed to stock up on inventory ahead of planned hikes in duties.
Surveys of economists conducted by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal had expected the trade deficit to widen to $62 billion.
