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M. Continuo

U.S. current account narrows more than expected in second quarter


    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. current account deficit shrank more than expected in the second quarter as the country imported fewer goods while income earned on U.S. assets abroad increased.

    The deficit on the current account, which measures the flow of goods, services and investments into and out of the United States, narrowed to $117.4 billion, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday.

    The deficit was equivalent to 3.0 percent of gross domestic product and was the narrowest since the third quarter of 2011.

    Most of the narrowing came from a drop in the U.S. deficit on goods and an increase in the surplus on income, the Commerce Department said.

    Imports of goods fell 0.5 percent during the quarter to $579.9 billion. Exports of goods rose 1.4 percent to $394.1 billion.

    The surplus on income increased to $55.5 billion as income receipts on U.S.-owned assets abroad rose to $184.6 billion.

    Analysts surveyed before the report had expected the current account gap to narrow to $125.5 billion.

    The Commerce Department revised its estimate of the first-quarter current account deficit to $133.6 billion, from $137.3 billion previously.

    (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Andrea Ricci)