The US trade deficit widened in July as imports rose to the second highest on record, led by oil and consumer goods such as games and clothing. The trading shortfall with China reached a record, the US Commerce Department said.
The US economy has shed 2.7 million jobs since US President George W. Bush took office, and manufacturers have cut payrolls for 37 consecutive months.
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown called on Asia to do its part to boost world growth, while saying "there was no general or definitive discussion on either the Chinese currency or Japanese intervention" at Saturday's EU meeting. Brown wasn't at Friday's euro meeting because Britain doesn't use the currency.
Countries including the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan, whose exports to China would suffer from a slowing Chinese economy, have rejected the US appeal to realign their currencies.
US senators last week said they will introduce legislation that would impose tariffs on Chinese imports unless China floats the yuan,which has been pegged to the US dollar since 1995.
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