US Trade Deficit Widens in September; Inventories Mixed

Sea gulls sit on a lamppost beside shipping containers stacked at the Paul W. Conley Container Terminal in Boston, Mass., on May 9, 2018. Brian Snyder/Reuters

WASHINGTON—The U.S. trade deficit in goods surged in September as exports tumbled, suggesting trade probably weighed on economic growth again in the third quarter.

The goods trade deficit increased 9.2 percent to $96.3 billion, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday. Goods exports dropped 4.7 percent, while imports gained 0.5 percent.