With so much attention focused on trade data in recent weeks, Trump will hardly be happy to learn that not only did the US trade deficit grow by 1.6% in February from $56.7BN to $57.6BN, missing expectations of a $56.8BN print, but was the highest monthly trade deficit going back ten years to 2008.
According to the Census Bureau, the deficit increased to $57.6 billion, as imports increased more than exports. Broken down by components, the goods deficit increased $0.3 billion in February to $77.0 billion. The services surplus decreased $0.6 billion in February to $19.4 billion.
The good news is that exports of goods and services increased $3.5 billion, or 1.7% , in February to $204.4 billion. Exports of goods increased $3.0 billion and exports of services increased $0.5 billion.
The increase in exports of goods mostly reflected increases in industrial supplies and materials
The bad news is that imports of goods and services increased slightly more in absolute dollar terms, by $4.4 billion, or also 1.7% of total, in February to $262.0 billion. Imports of goods increased $3.3 billion and imports of services increased $1.1 billion.
