WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit fell in May as U.S. exports hit an all-time high, helped by a
jump in exports of petroleum products. Imports dipped slightly.
The Commerce Department says the trade deficit narrowed 5.6 percent in May to $44.4 billion after hitting
a two-year high of $47 billion in April.
Exports of goods and services rose 1 percent to a record $195.5 billion in May while imports fell a
slight 0.3 percent to $239.8 billion.
A lower trade deficit boosts overall economic growth when it shows U.S. companies are earning more in
their overseas sales. Economists are looking for a smaller trade deficit in the April-June quarter to
help propel output back to positive growth after the economy shrank in the first quarter at a 2.9
percent rate.