Britain's trade gap narrows

Britain's Office for National Statistics said the national trade gap for goods narrowed slightly from $14.08 billion in February to $13.9 billion in March. The decline was in line with forecasts with the gap shrinking despite a slightly larger trade gap in oils and other fuels. ONS said the larger trade gap in petroleum products was a return to more normal levels after a smaller-than-average gap in January and February. Exports of goods in the first quarter of the year rose by 1 percent, while imports were "virtually unchanged," the statistics office said. Through the first period, the gap in energy products allow narrowed by $3.7 billion, due largely to a decline in imports, ONS said.