For years, Americans have been told the trade deficit is a harmless number, something economists argue about and everyone else ignores. The 2025 numbers make that comfortable story hard to hold up. The overall U.S. goods deficit hit a record 1.
The US trade deficit widened sharply in August to the largest since early 2025 as a surge in inbound shipments of capital goods helped push imports to a record.
WASHINGTON >> After 20 months in office and with the midterm elections approaching, President Donald Trump is at pains to demonstrate his administration’s economic wins. But one metric he has identified as an important measuring stick for his policies has been moving steadily in the wrong direction.
The trade deficit grew to $105.6 billion in August, a 13.7 percent increase from July, driven by an increase in imports of petroleum, gold and chips used for artificial intelligence.
The U.S. trade deficit rose to a 17-month high in August, topping $100 billion for the first time since March 2025. U.S. imports of goods and services that month were worth $105.6 billion more than the value of exports, according to data the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis released Tue…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in August as imports jumped to a record high against the backdrop of robust domestic demand, keeping trade on track to again subtract from economic growth in the third quarter.
The U.S. trade deficit jumped 13.7% in August to $105.6 billion, the widest gap since March 2025, just before President Trump’s sweeping tariffs took effect.
