Supply Chain Research

The U.S. trade-in-goods deficit jumped 10% on a year in September. That was the 11th increase, and the fastest pace of growth since April. Import growth of 6% outpaced the 4% rise in exports, reflecting the pattern seen in seaport activity. Purchases of capital goods surged by 12%, the fastest rate since March 2012 after the ISM manufacturing optimism gauge reached its highest since 2004. Should the widening of the deficit also be seen in the goods-and-services report on November 3 there’ll likely be political blow-back for the NAFTA negotiations and President Trump’s Asia trip.