The U.S. trade deficit widened sharply in September as companies increased imports to meet strong domestic demand, taking into account the possibility of the government imposing higher tariffs on imported goods.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis showed the trade deficit rose 19.2 percent to $84.4 billion from $70.8 billion after adjusting in August as exports fell.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected the trade deficit to widen to $84.1 billion from $70.4 billion in August.
