The trade deficit in the United States in April fell slightly, with a significant increase in crude oil exports.

Data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce on the 9th showed that the U.S. goods and services trade deficit in April was $55.9 billion, a decrease of 1.2% compared to the previous month. The data also showed that in April, U.S. exports and imports of goods and services were $327.1 billion and $383.0 billion, respectively, increasing by 2.6% and 2% compared to the previous month. During the month, the U.S. goods trade deficit decreased by $2.4 billion to $83.7 billion, while the services trade surplus decreased by $1.7 billion to $27.8 billion. In April, U.S. exports of capital goods, industrial materials, and consumer goods increased by $4 billion, $2.5 billion, and $1.7 billion, respectively. Crude oil and petroleum product exports increased by $8.7 billion, while exports of non-monetary gold and other precious metals significantly decreased by $7.7 billion. Imports of capital goods into the U.S. increased by $7 billion in April, driven by imports of computers, semiconductor products, and other items.