US foreign trade deficit in goods widens in September

America's shortfall on trade in goods with the rest of the world widened unexpectedly during the previous month amid a drop in exports.

According to preliminary figures from the US Department of Commerce, in seasonally adjusted terms, the so-called visible trade deficit increased at a month-on-month pace of 5.7% to reach -$92.2bn.

Economists had penciled-in a deficit of -$87.8bn.

The prior month's estimate of -$87.3bn was unchanged.

Exports fell by 1.6% in comparison to August to reach $177.6bn, while imports increased by 0.8% to $269.8bn.

Contained within the same report, Commerce estimated that wholesale inventories rose by 0.8% month-on-month to hit $921.7bn.

Retail inventories were up by 0.4% on the month $744bn.