US trade gap widens in August, goods deficit hits 18-month high
Economists had forecast a smaller overall shortfall, and new Census data point to broader imports than exports
Published
The US trade deficit widened in August. The overall figure, covering both goods and services, was reported at $105.6 billion, above the $102.1 billion economists had expected.
The advance goods trade deficit rose to $132.6 billion in August, up from $118.9 billion in July, according to the Census Bureau's Advance Economic Indicators Report. Exports of goods rose to $203.4 billion, an increase of $3.7 billion from July. Imports climbed faster, reaching $336.1 billion, up $17.4 billion on the month.
Trading Economics said the August goods gap was the largest since March 2025, when it hit a record $158.7 billion. The overall deficit, which includes services, had stood at $88.6 billion in July, itself wider than June's $71.1 billion, Trading Economics data show.
The widening gap adds a modest drag to the net exports component of GDP accounting, but does not shift the broader demand picture painted by this week's durable goods and housing data. Imports outpacing exports fits with the resilience shown in the stronger new home sales figure, rather than signalling fresh weakness. The miss from forecasts is small enough to confirm, rather than alter, the mixed but not deteriorating growth narrative of the past two sessions.