US trade deficit falls in 2019, first time in 6 years

The US trade deficit fell last year to USD 616.8 billion, the first time the gap has narrowed since 2013 as imports declined more than exports, according to government data released Wednesday. As President Donald Trump's trade confrontations escalated in 2019, the total trade gap shrunk by nearly USD 10 billion as exports fell by 0.1 percent and imports dropped 0.4 percent, the Commerce Department reported.