THE WASHINGTON POST: Chinese imports push up US trade deficit in May

July 6th, 2016 | By: Martin Crutsinger WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit climbed in May as a surge in imports of Chinese-made cellphones and computers pushed the politically sensitive imbalance with China to the highest level in six months. The trade deficit rose to $41.1 billion in May compared to April’s $37.4 billion, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It was the largest imbalance since February. The trade deficit is the gap between the value of goods and services the United States imports from other countries and the smaller value of U.S. exports. Exports, which have struggled this year because of a strong dollar and weak growth in overseas markets, edged down 0.2 percent to $182.4 billion. Imports jumped 1.6 percent to $223.5 billion. To read the full article please click here