Americans bought fewer foreign pharmaceuticals, cellphones and cars, and cut purchases of machinery and other supplies.

The US trade deficit narrowed in April by the most on record on the largest-ever plunge in imports, illustrating an abrupt end to the massive front-loading of goods by some companies ahead of higher tariffs.

The U.S. international trade deficit narrowed 55.5% in April to $61.6 billion, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal h