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US Trade Deficit Widens More Than Expected in August Driven by Strong Imports
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CNBC TV18•06-10-2026, 19:53
US Trade Deficit Widens More Than Expected in August Driven by Strong Imports
- •The US trade deficit increased by 13.7% to $105.6 billion in August, exceeding economists' forecasts of $102.0 billion.
- •A surge in imports of goods, which jumped 5.3% to $342.2 billion, drove the wider deficit amid robust domestic demand.
- •Total imports rose 4.3% to $420.8 billion, while exports increased by 1.4% to $315.2 billion.
- •Trade is expected to subtract from gross domestic product for the third consecutive quarter, potentially cutting up to 2.5 percentage points from Q3 GDP.
- •Despite aggressive tariffs by President Donald Trump aimed at shrinking the deficit, businesses continue to rely on imports to meet strong domestic demand.
Key Questions Answered
The US trade deficit widened by 13.7% to $105.6 billion in August due to a surge in imports of goods driven by robust domestic demand.
Imports increased by 4.3% to $420.8 billion in August, with goods imports jumping 5.3% to $342.2 billion, while overall exports rose 1.4% to $315.2 billion.
Economists estimate that trade could subtract as much as 2.5 percentage points from GDP in the third quarter, marking the fourth straight quarter that trade subtracts from gross domestic product.
