US: current account deficit increased to $128.2 billion

According to statistics released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) this Wednesday, the U.S. current-account deficit increased to $128.2 billion (preliminary) in the fourth quarter of 2017 from $101.5 billion (revised) in the third quarter. 

   •  The deficit was 2.6 percent of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter, up from 2.1 percent in the third quarter.

   •  The $26.7 billion increase in the current-account deficit mostly reflected increases in the deficits on goods and secondary income and a decrease in the surplus on primary income.