US trade deficit rises to $48.7 billion on record imports
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Record imports lifted the U.S. trade deficit to $48.7 billion in October, the highest since January.
The Commerce Department says the trade gap rose 8.6 percent in October from $44.9 billion in September. Imports hit a record $244.6 billion in October, and exports were unchanged at $195.9 billion.
So far this year, the United States is running a trade deficit of $462.9 billion, up 11.9 percent from January through October 2016. U.S. exports are up 5.3 percent this year; a weaker dollar has made U.S. goods less expensive overseas. Imports are up 6.5 percent the first 10 months of 2017.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The politically sensitive trade deficit in goods with China rose 1.7 percent to $35.2 billion from September to October and is up 7 percent this year to $309 billion.