During the presidential campaign, President Donald Trump and his surrogates railed against the size of the deficit. | Evan Vucci/AP U.S. trade deficit grew again under Trump in September

The U.S. trade deficit widened in September and remained on track in President Donald Trump's first year to exceed the 2016 level, a Commerce Department report Friday showed.

The trade gap, which measures the difference between imports and exports, increased 1.7 percent in September to $43.5 billion. The deficit for the first 9 months of the year totaled $405.2 billion, compared to $370.7 billion during the same period in 2016.


During the presidential campaign, Trump and his surrogates railed against the size of the deficit, with key campaign aide Peter Navarro, who is now a White House adviser, asserting they could eliminate the trade deficit "within a year or two."

The trade gap with China, which Trump repeatedly blasted during last year's campaign, decreased slightly in September to $34.6 billion.

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But it also remains on track to exceed the 2016 level. It totaled $273.7 billion during the first nine months of 2017, compared to $257.6 billion in the same period last year.

Trump leaves Friday on a trip to Asia, where he is expected to make a big push for "free, fair and reciprocal trade."

Both U.S. exports and imports rose during September. Exports increased 1.1 percent to $196.8 billion, while imports rose 1.2 percent to $240.3 billion.

U.S. exports of services were the highest on record and exports of goods were the highest since December 2014, according to a Commerce Department highlights sheet.

Imports of of foods, feeds and beverages and of capital goods were the highest on record, the department said.

