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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe U.S. goods-and-services trade deficit widened to $105.6 billion in August 2026, up $12.7 billion from July’s revised $92.8 billion. Exports totaled $315.2 billion and imports $420.8 billion, according to the joint October 6 release from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau. The monthly increase contrasts with a smaller cumulative deficit through August than in the same period of 2025.
What does a $105.6 billion trade deficit mean?
For August, the United States imported $420.8 billion in goods and services and exported $315.2 billion. Imports exceeded exports by $105.6 billion, which is the reported trade deficit. The figure covers both goods and services, is seasonally adjusted, and is not adjusted for price changes; it is therefore a nominal measure rather than a measure of inflation-adjusted trade.
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The monthly estimate is based on the latest release and can be revised. The July comparison here uses the revised figure published alongside August’s data.
Why did the deficit increase from July?
The main movement was in goods: the goods deficit grew by $12.8 billion to $136.6 billion. The services surplus edged up by less than $0.1 billion to $31.0 billion, partially offsetting the widening goods gap. Together, those movements produced a $12.7 billion increase in the total deficit.
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| Measure | August 2026 | Change from July |
|---|---|---|
| Goods-and-services deficit | $105.6 billion | Widened $12.7 billion |
| Goods deficit | $136.6 billion | Widened $12.8 billion |
| Services surplus | $31.0 billion | Increased by less than $0.1 billion |
| Exports | $315.2 billion | Rose $4.5 billion |
| Imports | $420.8 billion | Rose $17.2 billion |
The release reports the movements, but does not establish that tariffs, consumer demand, inventories, or any other single factor caused them. It also does not mark the reported percentage changes as statistically significant; the Census PDF says statistical significance is not applicable or not measurable for these figures.
What changed in goods and services?
Exports
Goods exports rose $4.4 billion to $205.7 billion. Services exports increased by less than $0.1 billion to $109.5 billion. The resulting $4.5 billion rise in total exports was smaller than the increase in imports.
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Imports
Goods imports rose $17.2 billion to $342.2 billion. Within goods, industrial supplies and materials increased $9.1 billion, including crude oil (+$3.3 billion) and nonmonetary gold (+$3.1 billion). Capital-goods imports increased $6.2 billion, including semiconductors (+$2.4 billion) and other industrial machinery (+$1.3 billion). Computer-accessory imports moved in the other direction, decreasing $1.6 billion.
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Services imports increased by less than $0.1 billion to $78.5 billion. Census separately reported August records for capital-goods imports ($146.4 billion), imports from Mexico ($60.6 billion), and imports from Vietnam ($26.5 billion). Those are records for particular categories or trading partners, not evidence that the overall U.S. trade deficit was a record.
How does August compare with the year so far?
Despite the monthly widening, the cumulative goods-and-services deficit through August 2026 was $138.2 billion, or 19.9%, lower than in January–August 2025. Over that same year-to-date comparison, exports were up 11.8% and imports were up 4.4%. These cumulative figures compare eight-month periods; they do not negate or explain the separate month-to-month increase in August.
Nominal headline versus real goods deficit
The $105.6 billion headline is the nominal deficit for goods and services. A separate inflation-adjusted measure covers goods only: in 2017 dollars, the real goods deficit increased 8.2% to $114.7 billion in August. The nominal goods deficit rose 11.1%. These measures have different coverage and price treatment, so the real goods-only figure should not be compared directly with the nominal goods-and-services headline.
What changed in the July estimate?
The August release revised July’s figures. July goods exports were revised up $0.2 billion and services exports down $0.2 billion. Goods imports were revised up $4.4 billion and services imports down $0.2 billion. The resulting revised July total deficit was $92.8 billion, the baseline for the August monthly comparison. Future monthly releases may revise published values again.
When was the August trade report released?
The joint U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis release was issued October 6, 2026. At that time, BEA listed November 4, 2026 as the next release date; publication schedules can change. The Census FT-900 PDF, Census release page, and BEA international trade data page provide the official figures and related data.
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