US goods trade deficit jumps 9.2% in September to record $96.3B

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - US goods trade deficit jumped 9.2% in September from the previous month to hit a record $96.3 billion, according to the US Commerce Department's Census Bureau data released Wednesday.

The figure represents an $8.1 billion increase from $88.2 billion in August.

While exports of goods for September were $7 billion less than August, coming in at $142.2 billion; imports were $238.4 billion -- $1.1 billion more than the previous month.

Wholesale inventories for September were estimated at $739.5 billion, up 1.1% from August. Retail inventories were estimated at $602.9 billion, down 0.2% from the month, according to the data.

Durable goods orders were down 0.4% to $261.3 billion in September, the US Census Bureau said in a separate statement.

The market expectation for durable goods orders, which measures the change in the total value of new orders for long-lasting manufactured goods, including transportation items, was to decline 1.1% in September.

That marked the first decline in durable goods orders after four consecutive months of increase. They were up 1.3%, or $262.3 billion, in August, according to revised figures.