Narrowing UK trade deficit ‘may aid growth’

Britain’s trade deficit with the rest of the world narrowed more than expected in April, suggesting that it might act as less of a brake on the country’s growth during the current quarter, official data showed yesterday.

The UK’s Office for National Statistics said that Britain’s total trade deficit narrowed to £1.202bn in April from an upwardly revised £3.093bn in March, its lowest since March 2014.

The deficit in goods, alone, narrowed to £8.561bn from £10.705bn, also the lowest since March last year, compared with economists’ forecasts for it to drop to £9.9bn.