<p>The US trade deficit fell by the most in eight months in September as imports of autos, mobile phones and other electronics retreated after the pre-tariff surge in August, according to government data Tuesday.</p>.<p>Total exports also fell as the world's appetite for key American products, including politically-sensitive soy beans, continued to slacken and Boeing's travails dragged on, the Commerce Department reported..</p>.<p>The US trade gap, the shortfall between what Americans buy from abroad and what they sell in foreign markets, fell 4.7 percent to $52.5 billion, which matched economists' expectations but was the biggest tumble since January.</p>.<p>US President Donald Trump in September piled even more tariffs on China, jacking up duties on more than $100 billion in Chinese goods, likely prompting an surge in buying in the previous month to lock-in lower prices -- which widened the trade gap in August.</p>.<p>Recent media reports indicate US and Chinese officials are considering a roll-back of some tariffs as they work to finalize a partial deal to end the trade war Trump began last year.</p>.<p>US exports fell 0.9 percent in September to $206 billion as international sales of soy beans, passenger cars and trucks together fell $2.5 billion.</p>.<p>This was slightly offset by higher exports of aircraft and aircraft engines.</p>.<p>Imports fell 1.7 percent to $258.4 billion, the report said. Ahead of the holiday shopping period, purchases of toys, games, artwork and collectibles fell, as did foreign purchases of trucks, buses, semiconductors, autos and parts.</p>.<p>American oil producers also notched their first petroleum trade surplus since current records began more than 40 years ago.</p>.<p>The narrowing deficit should support GDP growth calculations for the July-September quarter.</p>.<p>However, in the year to date, the trade gap is up 5.4 percent from the first nine months of 2018 to $481.3 billion.</p>.<p>In a continuation of recent trends in large part driven by Trump's trade war with Beijing, US imports from China declined further as purchases from Mexico surged again.</p>.<p>The deficit with China has dived 13.1 percent so far this year to $266.4 billion but the gap with Mexico over the same period has skyrocketed by 29.4 percent, underscoring the rebalancing of trade relations under Trump's trade offensive.</p>.<p>A strong US dollar likely also encouraged tourism, sending US imports of services to $49.9 billion, their highest level on record.</p>
<p>The US trade deficit fell by the most in eight months in September as imports of autos, mobile phones and other electronics retreated after the pre-tariff surge in August, according to government data Tuesday.</p>.<p>Total exports also fell as the world's appetite for key American products, including politically-sensitive soy beans, continued to slacken and Boeing's travails dragged on, the Commerce Department reported..</p>.<p>The US trade gap, the shortfall between what Americans buy from abroad and what they sell in foreign markets, fell 4.7 percent to $52.5 billion, which matched economists' expectations but was the biggest tumble since January.</p>.<p>US President Donald Trump in September piled even more tariffs on China, jacking up duties on more than $100 billion in Chinese goods, likely prompting an surge in buying in the previous month to lock-in lower prices -- which widened the trade gap in August.</p>.<p>Recent media reports indicate US and Chinese officials are considering a roll-back of some tariffs as they work to finalize a partial deal to end the trade war Trump began last year.</p>.<p>US exports fell 0.9 percent in September to $206 billion as international sales of soy beans, passenger cars and trucks together fell $2.5 billion.</p>.<p>This was slightly offset by higher exports of aircraft and aircraft engines.</p>.<p>Imports fell 1.7 percent to $258.4 billion, the report said. Ahead of the holiday shopping period, purchases of toys, games, artwork and collectibles fell, as did foreign purchases of trucks, buses, semiconductors, autos and parts.</p>.<p>American oil producers also notched their first petroleum trade surplus since current records began more than 40 years ago.</p>.<p>The narrowing deficit should support GDP growth calculations for the July-September quarter.</p>.<p>However, in the year to date, the trade gap is up 5.4 percent from the first nine months of 2018 to $481.3 billion.</p>.<p>In a continuation of recent trends in large part driven by Trump's trade war with Beijing, US imports from China declined further as purchases from Mexico surged again.</p>.<p>The deficit with China has dived 13.1 percent so far this year to $266.4 billion but the gap with Mexico over the same period has skyrocketed by 29.4 percent, underscoring the rebalancing of trade relations under Trump's trade offensive.</p>.<p>A strong US dollar likely also encouraged tourism, sending US imports of services to $49.9 billion, their highest level on record.</p>