(April 2): The US trade deficit widened in February by less than forecast as both imports and exports increased. The gap in goods and services trade grew 4.9% from the prior month to US$57.3 billion (RM231.4 billion), Commerce Department data showed on Thursday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for an almost US$61 billion deficit. The February trade data will help economists firm up their estimates for first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP). On an inflation-adjusted basis, which filters into the real GDP measurement, the merchandise trade deficit widened slightly to US$83.5 billion in February.

Source: The Edge Markets April 02, 2026 13:29 UTC