US trade deficit hits 5-month high as imports from Mexico soar

WASHINGTON: America's politically-sensitive trade deficit jumped to a five-month high in May as imports of automobiles hit the highest on record, according to government data released Wednesday.

The trade deficit with Mexico, a country President Donald Trump threatened with stinging tariffs, reached the highest in a decade, according to the Commerce Department report.

The US trade gap jumped 8.4 percent to $55.5 billion, seasonally adjusted, which was above analyst forecasts and the biggest increase since December.