AlHijjah 14, 1432, Nov 10, 2011, SPA -- The U.S. trade deficit fell in September to the lowest point this year as foreign sales of American-made autos, airplanes, and heavy machinery pushed exports to an all-time high, a government report showed Thursday. The deficit narrowed 4 percent to $43.1 billion, the third consecutive decline and the smallest imbalance since last December, the Commerce Department reported. Exports increased 1.4 percent to a record $180.4 billion, reflecting a big increase in shipments of U.S. made autos and auto parts. Imports were up a smaller 0.4 percent to $223.5 billion as oil imports slowed after huge gains earlier this year. Through September, the deficit is running at an annual rate of $558.2 billion, up 11.6 percent from the imbalance for all of last year of $500 billion.
