WASHINGTON — The U.S. international trade deficit was $48.8 billion for December, a 3.7% increase from the revised $47.1 billion deficit for November, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
The December deficit was greater than the median $48.3 billion deficit for the month that was estimated by economists polled by Thomson Reuters.
Exports totaled $178.8 billion and imports were $227.6 billion.
December exports were about $1.3 billion more than the previous month’s level of $177.5 billion.
Imports were about $3.0 billion more than the November level of $224.6 billion.
