Today in business: 5 things you need to know

The U.S. trade deficit falls, Boeing's Dreamliner problems worsen, and more in our roundup of the business stories that are making news and driving opinion

A row of grounded Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes at Tokyo International Airport on Jan. 31.
(Image credit: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

1. U.S. TRADE DEFICIT FALLS

The Commerce Department on Friday reported that the U.S. trade deficit fell 20.7 percent in December, to $38.5 billion, its lowest level in two years. The plunge was largely attributed to surging U.S. exports of petroleum, more evidence of the economic impact of the U.S.'s booming energy industry. [Bloomberg]

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Ryu Spaeth

Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.