U.S. trade deficit widens; weekly jobless claims up modestly

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit in December widened sharply to its highest level since 2012 as a stronger dollar appeared to suck in imports and weigh on exports, which could see the fourth-quarter economic growth estimate revised lower. The Commerce Department said on Thursday the trade deficit jumped 17.1 percent to $46.6 billion, the largest since November 2012. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the trade deficit falling to $38 billion. While trade is o