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.

Trump touted the tariffs as an effort to slash the nation's trade deficit, which the president has said he considers a threat to the nation's economic prosperity. Many economists disagree, however, saying the trade deficit reflects the consumer-driven focus of the U.S. economy.

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