U.S. TRADE DEFICIT FALLS IN 2019 FOR FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS

The trade deficit fell slightly in 2019 to mark the first decline in six years, mostly reflecting U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods that reduced the flow of imports from the Asian giant. The U.S. deficit slipped 1.7% to $617 billion last year from almost $628 billion in 2018. Last year’s trade gap was the highest in a decade. (MarketWatch)