Craig won’t let himself see it: gutless

 

U.S. Trade Deficit Bounces Back as Tariffs Cause Volatility

The monthly trade deficit and imports rebounded in November after shrinking significantly in prior months, new data show.

The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services rebounded to $56.8 billion in November, rising 95 percent from the previous month as President Trump’s tariffs reordered trade, according to data from the Commerce Department released on Thursday.

Exports fell 3.6 percent in the month, to $292.1 billion. Imports rose 5 percent in November, to $348.9 billion. The combination pushed up the monthly trade deficit, the gap between what the United States imports and what it exports.

The data reflected some of the intense volatility that has resulted from the president’s trade policy, which has imposed steep taxes on imports. The trade deficit had fallen in prior months, seemingly accomplishing a major goal for Mr. Trump, who views that metric as a sign of economic weakness. The October trade deficit was the lowest monthly figure recorded since June 2009.

But much of that drop was the result of temporary fluctuations in trade in certain products, like gold and pharmaceuticals. Economists have cautioned against a single-minded focus on the trade deficit, saying that it can move for a wide variety of reasons, and that last year was particularly volatile when it comes to trade.