(Jan 9): The US trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed in November, driven by a pickup in services exports and a slight decline in merchandise imports.

The deficit in goods and services trade shrank 2% from the prior month to US$63.2 billion (RM293.47 billion), Commerce Department data showed on Tuesday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a US$64.9 billion gap.

The value of imports and exports each decreased 1.9%. The figures were not adjusted for inflation.

Despite the November decline, merchandise imports remained elevated against a backdrop of resilient consumer spending. US exports of services climbed for a fourth month to a record US$85.7 billion in a broad advance.

On an inflation-adjusted basis, the merchandise trade deficit shrank to US$84.8 billion in November, the smallest in three months. Prior to the current report, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s GDPNow forecast showed trade subtracting 0.23 percentage point from fourth-quarter growth.

The drop in goods imports reflected decreases in industrial supplies, consumer goods and capital equipment. US exports were restrained by decreases in shipments of vehicles, industrial supplies and consumer goods.

Digging deeper

• Travel exports — or spending by visitors to the US — rose 1.4% after falling in October
• Travel imports — a measure of Americans travelling abroad — climbed 2.7% to a record high
• The US merchandise-trade deficit with China narrowed to the smallest level in a year
• The goods shortfall with Mexico increased to the largest on record