US goods trade deficit unexpectedly widens in September

WASHINGTON, Oct ‌28 (Reuters) - The ​US ​trade deficit in goods unexpectedly widened in September as ‌imports increased, suggesting that trade again ⁠subtracted from economic growth in the third ‌quarter.

The goods trade shortfall ‌increased 2.1%, or $2.8 billion to $134.9 billion last month, the Commerce Department's ​Census Bureau said on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast ⁠the goods deficit at $130.2 billion.

Trade has not contributed to ​gross domestic product growth for three straight quarters as an ​AI investment boom pulls ‌in imports, mostly capital goods.

Goods imports rose $8.1 billion to $344.1 ⁠billion last month. Exports of goods climbed $5.3 billion to $209.2 billion.

The government is scheduled ⁠to publish its advance estimate of third-quarter ​GDP on Thursday. A Reuters survey of economists forecast GDP increasing at a 3.2% annualized ‌rate, with AI investment and consumer spending expected to ‌be the key drivers. The economy ⁠grew at ‌a 2.2% pace ​in the second quarter.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu ‌Nomiyama )

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