The trade gap shrank to $29.4 billion in October from $48.1 billion in September, the government said Thursday. The October report was delayed by the federal shutdown. A combination of surging U.S. exports and dwindling imports explained the big drop in the deficit. The last time the trade gap was so low was in 2009. Key details: Exports rose 2.6% in October. While the U.S. shipped more industrial supplies overseas, a big increase in gold exports also played a large role. Investors brought lots of gold (GC00) in from outside the U.S. earlier in the year on worries the precious metal might get slapped with tariffs. ... (full story)