Money
US trade deficit widened to $105.6 billion in August as imports outpaced exports
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The gap between what the US buys from and sells to the world grew to $105.6 billion in August 2026, up from $92.8 billion in July, because imports rose by more than exports.
$105.6 billionUS goods and services trade deficit in August 2026, up from $92.8 billion in July
The facts
- 1After a revision, July's deficit stood at $92.8 billion. August's $105.6 billion is therefore about $12.8 billion larger, a clear one-month jump.
- 2Both imports and exports rose, but imports rose by more. That difference is what pushed the overall gap wider, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
- 3Goods, meaning physical products, drove the change. The goods deficit grew by $12.8 billion to reach $136.6 billion in August.
- 4Services, such as travel or software, moved the other way. The US sold more services than it bought, and that surplus edged up by less than $0.1 billion to $31.0 billion.
- 5This is a single month's reading, and July's figure was already revised once. The release summary also does not say which products or trading partners explain the rise.
Why it matters
It shows the monthly trade gap can swing by billions, and that the goods side, not services, accounted for essentially all of August's widening.
