WASHINGTON — The US trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed in September as exports rose sharply, suggesting global demand for US goods was holding up despite a debt crisis in Europe. Other data Thursday showed a drop in new claims for jobless benefits last week, although a severe storm that battered the East Coast distorted the figures. The trade gap shrank 5.1 percent to $41.55 billion, the smallest deficit since December 2010, the Commerce Department said. Economists had expected it to widen to $45.0 billion. Exports jumped 3.1 percent, the biggest increase in more than a year. The export gain more than offset a 1.5-percent increase in imports that was centered on purchases of consumer goods. Chinese demand for US products appeared to help exporters in September. China bought $8.8 billion in US goods and services, up 0.3 percent from a month earlier, although those figures were not seasonally adjusted. — Reuters
