(CN) — The United States' trade deficit fell to $100.6 billion in third quarter, the smallest imbalance in three years, the Commerce Department announced Tuesday.
The government said the nation's trade imbalance declined by 19.2 percent between July and September, from a second quarter deficit of $124.4 billion.
The improvement reflected a smaller deficit in goods trade, a bigger surplus in services such as financial services and a bigger surplus in income from overseas investments, the department said.
It was the smallest deficit in dollar terms since a current account imbalance of $91.9 billion in the third quarter of 2014.
The third quarter gain was led by increases in sales of commercial aircraft, including engines and airplane parts, and increased shipments of telecommunications equipment.
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