US Goods Trade Deficit Widens to $134.9 Billion

The United States Census Bureau reported that the U.S. goods trade deficit widened to $134.9 billion in September 2026. This figure exceeded market expectations of $128.7 billion and represents an increase from the revised August deficit of $132.1 billion.

While goods exports rose 2.6% to $209.2 billion, imports grew by 2.4% to $344.1 billion. The larger dollar increase in imports resulted in a $2.8 billion deterioration of the trade balance. This trend was primarily driven by a 7.5% surge in capital goods imports, which reached $157.4 billion, outweighing a 5.4% increase in capital goods exports to $73.3 billion.

Other import categories provided partial offsets to the deficit, as automotive imports fell by 4.0% and industrial supplies dropped by 6.0%. In a related report, the Census Bureau noted that wholesale inventories rose 0.6% month-over-month, slightly surpassing the 0.5% forecast.