Trade deficit hits $105.6 billion, widest since just before Trump tariffs
Trucks move goods in a shipping container next to large stacks of shipping containers and cranes at the Port of Long Beach Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026.
Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
The U.S. trade deficit widened sharply in August amid an influx of goods related to the artificial intelligence build-out and the vagaries of import tariffs, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.
Imports swelled 4.3% for the month, pushing the total imbalance to $105.6 billion. That marked a 13.7% jump from July and was ahead of the Dow Jones consensus estimate for $102 billion.
It also was the steepest deficit since the all-time gap in March 2025, recorded just before President Donald Trump‘s “liberation day” announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs against U.S. trading partners.
Though the monthly total was up, the year-to-date deficit of $138.2 billion was off nearly 20% from the same period a year ago.
Read More: Trade deficit hits $105.6 billion, widest since just before Trump tariffs