The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in April, with imports decreasing by the most on record as the front-running of goods ahead of tariffs ebbed, which could provide a lift to economic growth this quarter.

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed significantly in April as President Donald Trump sharply escalated tariffs before pausing a large swath of the levies, U.S. Commerce Department data on Thursday showed.

The U.S. trade deficit marked a record-breaking decline in April, as a barrage of steep new tariffs muted the rush of imports that had preceded the new trade barriers. U.S. imports f