US DATA: Aug trade gap widened to $44.2b from revised $42.5b in July,
about as expected. Both imports and exports fell in the month, though
the export drop was larger due to declines in foods and industrial
supplies. On the import side, rising petroleum prices pushed industrial
supplies higher, partially offsetting declines in other categories,
particularly consumer goods. As a result, the nonpetroleum goods gap
actually narrowed. The services surplus fell slightly in the month.
The bilateral gaps narrowed with the EU, China and Japan.