An article summarized by Quartz:

The U.S. trade deficit widened sharply to $105.6 billion in August, up $12.7 billion, or 13.7%, from July. It was the largest monthly deficit since March 2025. Imports increased 4.3% to $420.8 billion, while exports rose 1.4% to $315.2 billion, pushing the deficit above economists’ $102 billion estimate.

Most of the increase came from the goods deficit, which grew to $136.6 billion. Imports of industrial supplies and materials jumped $9.1 billion, driven largely by crude oil and gold, while capital-goods imports increased $6.2 billion, including semiconductors. The largest goods deficits were with Mexico ($27.7 billion), Vietnam ($24 billion), Taiwan ($18.3 billion) and China ($16.4 billion).

Despite the August jump, the broader picture remains different: the U.S. goods-and-services deficit for the first eight months of 2026 is $138.2 billion, or about 20%, lower than during the same period in 2025. That improvement reflects exports growing by $267.7 billion compared with a $129.5 billion increase in imports. However, the three-month average deficit has been rising, suggesting trade pressures could be building again heading into the fall.

For the article: https://qz.com/us-trade-deficit-august-2026-100626