US foreign trade deficit yawns wider in September

America's shortfall on trade with the rest of the world ballooned in September amid a sharp drop in overseas sales.

According to the Department of Commerce, in seasonally adjusted terms, the total trade deficit in goods and services yawned wider by 11.2% in month-on-month terms to reach -$80.9bn.

Economists had been anticipating a far smaller deterioration to reach -$74.6bn.

In comparison to August, exports shrank by 3.0% to reach $207.6bn while imports rose by 0.6% to $288.5bn.

Reduced sales abroad of nonmonetary gold to the tune of $1.9bn and a $1.0bn decrease in those of crude oil, accounted for the bulk of the drop in exports.

Going the other way, imports of capital goods jumped by $2.5bn, led by a $1.2bn increase in those of computers.

Imports of organic chemicals also increased, by $0.9bn.