August 2026

Released October 07, 2026


-$105.6B
Total trade balance
Aug 2026
-$136.6B
Goods trade balance
Aug 2026
$31.0B
Services trade balance
Aug 2026


Contents

Balance of payments

Census basis

Exports

Imports

Import duties

Prices and inflation


Balance of payments


In August 2026:


  • In August, the United States ran a total trade deficit of $105.57 billion.
    • The trade deficit is up $12.75 billion from July.
    • The trade deficit is 60 percent above the 12-month average.
    • In trade of goods, the U.S. ran a trade deficit of $136.57 billion, up $12.76 billion from July and 43 percent above the 12-month average.
    • In trade of services, the U.S. ran a trade surplus of $31.00 billion, up $18 million from July and 4 percent above the 12-month average.


  • Total exports was $315.18 billion, up $4.46 billion from July and 2 percent above the 12-month average.
    • Total exports of goods was $205.66 billion, up $4.42 billion from July.
    • Total exports of services was $109.52 billion, up $43 million from July.


  • Total imports was $420.75 billion, up $17.20 billion from July and 12 percent above the 12-month average.
    • Total imports of goods was $342.23 billion, up $17.18 billion from July.
    • Total imports of services was $78.52 billion, up $25 million from July.


From August 2025 to August 2026:


  • Over the 12 months through August 2026, the U.S. ran a total trade deficit of $793.76 billion.
    • In trade of goods, the U.S. ran a trade deficit of $1.15 trillion.
    • In trade of services, the U.S. ran a trade surplus of $356.14 billion.


  • Total exports was $3.70 trillion.
    • Total exports of goods was $2.41 trillion.
    • Total exports of services was $1.29 trillion.


  • Total imports was $4.49 trillion.
    • Total imports of goods was $3.56 trillion.
    • Total imports of services was $932.74 billion.




Table 1. Trade balance

Aug 2026 Aug 2025 Y/Y difference 12-month average Past 12 months
Goods
Exports $205.66B $178.39B 15.28% $200.72B $2.41T
– Imports $342.23B $266.59B 28.38% $296.54B $3.56T
Goods trade balance -$136.57B -$88.19B 54.85% -$95.82B -$1.15T
Services
Exports $109.52B $106.35B 2.98% $107.41B $1.29T
– Imports $78.52B $77.80B 0.93% $77.73B $932.74B
Services trade balance $31.00B $28.55B 8.57% $29.68B $356.14B
Total
Exports $315.18B $284.74B 10.69% $308.12B $3.70T
– Imports $420.75B $344.38B 22.18% $374.27B $4.49T
Total trade balance -$105.57B -$59.64B 77.01% -$66.15B -$793.76B


Census basis


The Bureau of Economic Analysis adjusted the August 2026 Census basis figures for goods exports by about 0.01 percent, and for goods imports by about 0.02 percent. See the Notes section for more information about these adjustments. This section reports the trade figures for goods as collected by the U.S. Census Bureau without adjustment unless specified otherwise.








Table 2. Largest deficits by country

Trading partner Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Aug 2026 Aug 2025 Y/Y difference
Vietnam -$229.13B 20.40% -$25.05B -$15.04B 66.56%
Mexico -$224.33B 19.97% -$26.98B -$16.00B 68.65%
Taiwan -$210.37B 18.73% -$19.82B -$13.12B 51.04%
China -$166.36B 14.81% -$18.40B -$17.10B 7.60%
Thailand -$105.71B 9.41% -$9.31B -$6.07B 53.36%
South Korea -$71.00B 6.32% -$8.83B -$4.42B 99.88%
Germany -$67.04B 5.97% -$5.78B -$4.11B 40.52%
Canada -$51.89B 4.62% -$5.69B -$1.92B 196.67%
Ireland -$50.57B 4.50% -$2.45B -$2.84B -13.57%
Japan -$48.94B 4.36% -$3.36B -$5.09B -34.00%


Table 3. Largest surpluses by country

Trading partner Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Aug 2026 Aug 2025 Y/Y difference
Netherlands $82.47B -7.34% $7.69B $4.96B 55.00%
United Kingdom $47.13B -4.20% $2.79B $776.67M 259.25%
Hong Kong $44.40B -3.95% $2.04B $1.55B 32.32%
Switzerland $39.69B -3.53% $687.29M $520.84M 31.96%
United Arab Emirates $23.89B -2.13% $1.54B $2.08B -25.90%
Brazil $21.03B -1.87% $1.76B $1.76B 0.30%
Australia $15.74B -1.40% $903.32M $1.66B -45.62%
Singapore $15.42B -1.37% $281.14M $1.35B -79.24%
Belgium $12.31B -1.10% $1.69B $1.03B 63.25%
Panama $8.92B -0.79% $814.30M $721.01M 12.94%


Exports




Table 4. Top exports by good

Exported good Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Aug 2026 Aug 2025 Y/Y difference
Civilian aircraft, engines, equipment, and parts $168.16B 7.05% $14.10B $13.97B 0.96%
Nonmonetary gold $133.37B 5.59% $7.61B $4.14B 83.63%
Crude oil $128.23B 5.37% $10.89B $8.42B 29.33%
Pharmaceutical preparations $115.62B 4.84% $8.31B $10.22B -18.63%
Petroleum products, other $88.91B 3.72% $8.89B $5.85B 51.98%
Semiconductors $79.30B 3.32% $7.77B $5.75B 35.09%
Computer accessories $74.57B 3.12% $7.09B $4.38B 61.75%
Industrial machines, other $70.73B 2.96% $6.10B $5.68B 7.50%
Electric apparatus $63.02B 2.64% $6.20B $4.77B 30.08%
Gas-natural $61.12B 2.56% $5.12B $4.20B 21.83%


  • Over the 12 months through August 2026, the U.S. exported the most to Mexico ($374.85 billion), Canada ($340.92 billion), and United Kingdom ($111.68 billion).
  • Together, these countries accounted for 34.67 percent of the value of all U.S. exports over those 12 months.



Table 5. Top exports by destination country

Export destination Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Aug 2026 Aug 2025 Y/Y difference
Mexico $374.85B 15.70% $33.66B $29.19B 15.30%
Canada $340.92B 14.28% $30.29B $27.22B 11.27%
United Kingdom $111.68B 4.68% $8.26B $5.97B 38.30%
Netherlands $109.10B 4.57% $10.65B $7.91B 34.75%
China $106.47B 4.46% $8.73B $8.27B 5.60%
Japan $94.09B 3.94% $8.63B $6.89B 25.25%
Switzerland $89.87B 3.76% $5.90B $3.84B 53.53%
Germany $86.10B 3.61% $7.27B $7.03B 3.45%
South Korea $78.76B 3.30% $6.38B $5.79B 10.13%
Taiwan $58.75B 2.46% $4.84B $4.61B 4.85%


  • Over the 12 months through August 2026, the port districts with the highest exports were Houston-Galveston, TX ($281.73 billion), New York City, NY ($280.71 billion), and Laredo, TX ($175.41 billion).




Table 6. Top exports by U.S. port district

Customs district Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Air Vessel Road, rail, and other
Houston-Galveston, TX $281.73B 11.80% $13.96B $267.57B $201.84M
New York City, NY $280.71B 11.76% $232.47B $46.50B $1.74B
Laredo, TX $175.41B 7.35% $581.72M $774.36M $174.06B
New Orleans, LA $166.20B 6.96% $67.34B $96.10B $2.76B
Detroit, MI $140.79B 5.90% $4.58B $534.33M $135.68B
Los Angeles, CA $139.88B 5.86% $81.33B $57.49B $1.06B
Chicago, IL $100.55B 4.21% $98.64B $641.55M $1.27B
Low Value $99.11B 4.15% $0.00 $0.00 $99.11B
Miami, FL $92.87B 3.89% $60.54B $29.50B $2.84B
El Paso, TX $83.88B 3.51% $216.07M $0.00 $83.66B


Imports




Table 7. Top imports by good

Imported good Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Aug 2026 Aug 2025 Y/Y difference
Computers $338.21B 9.64% $35.71B $21.50B 66.08%
Computer accessories $213.03B 6.07% $25.52B $9.71B 162.76%
Pharmaceutical preparations $195.83B 5.58% $14.00B $14.68B -4.67%
Passenger cars, new and used $169.64B 4.83% $14.64B $13.88B 5.50%
Telecommunications equipment $152.72B 4.35% $15.36B $8.99B 70.72%
Crude oil $149.43B 4.26% $15.60B $12.13B 28.65%
Other parts and accessories of vehicles $136.44B 3.89% $12.35B $12.51B -1.25%
Semiconductors $116.83B 3.33% $15.28B $5.31B 187.83%
U.S. goods returned, and reimports $108.87B 3.10% $8.99B $8.69B 3.56%
Cell phones and other household goods, n.e.c. $107.81B 3.07% $9.17B $7.78B 17.92%


  • Over the 12 months through August 2026, the U.S. imported the most from Mexico ($599.18 billion), Canada ($392.80 billion), and China ($272.83 billion).
  • Together, these countries accounted for 36.03 percent of the value of all U.S. imports over those 12 months.



Table 8. Top imports by country of origin

Import origin Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Aug 2026 Aug 2025 Y/Y difference
Mexico $599.18B 17.07% $60.64B $45.19B 34.18%
Canada $392.80B 11.19% $35.98B $29.14B 23.47%
China $272.83B 7.77% $27.13B $25.37B 6.95%
Taiwan $269.12B 7.67% $24.65B $17.73B 39.02%
Vietnam $247.24B 7.04% $26.47B $16.45B 60.97%
Germany $153.13B 4.36% $13.05B $11.14B 17.13%
South Korea $149.76B 4.27% $15.20B $10.20B 48.97%
Japan $143.03B 4.07% $11.99B $11.98B 0.09%
Thailand $129.61B 3.69% $11.83B $7.46B 58.52%
India $98.48B 2.81% $9.17B $7.89B 16.16%


  • Over the 12 months through August 2026, the port districts with the highest imports were Los Angeles, CA ($391.54 billion), Chicago, IL ($355.78 billion), and Laredo, TX ($344.49 billion).




Table 9. Top imports by U.S. port district

Customs district Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Air Vessel Road, rail, and other
Los Angeles, CA $391.54B 11.16% $135.32B $255.77B $447.35M
Chicago, IL $355.78B 10.14% $250.08B $52.32B $53.39B
Laredo, TX $344.49B 9.81% $4.53B $3.31B $336.65B
New York City, NY $291.80B 8.31% $129.27B $158.19B $4.34B
Savannah, GA $182.58B 5.20% $78.45B $103.84B $300.23M
El Paso, TX $181.59B 5.17% $25.43B $3.14B $153.02B
San Francisco, CA $177.98B 5.07% $125.86B $51.97B $144.21M
Cleveland, OH $153.03B 4.36% $111.84B $36.10B $5.10B
Detroit, MI $149.50B 4.26% $2.27B $7.78B $139.45B
New Orleans, LA $140.65B 4.01% $76.24B $58.49B $5.92B


Import duties







Table 10. Top calculated duties by good

Imported good Calculated duty Average applied duty rate
Passenger cars, new and used $25.40B 15.00%
Other parts and accessories of vehicles $14.88B 11.09%
Electric apparatus $14.43B 14.12%
Apparel, textiles, nonwool or cotton $13.25B 27.26%
Industrial machines, other $12.37B 14.41%
Apparel, household goods - cotton $9.80B 24.91%
Cell phones and other household goods, n.e.c. $9.58B 8.34%
Finished metal shapes $8.15B 26.26%
Bauxite and aluminum $8.09B 39.90%
Generators, accessories $6.82B 14.18%



Table 11. Top average applied duty rates by good

Imported good Calculated duty Average applied duty rate
Iron and steel, advanced $5.50B 48.10%
Iron and steel products, n.e.c. $3.99B 43.85%
Bauxite and aluminum $8.09B 39.90%
Iron and steel mill products $5.61B 38.05%
Drilling & oilfield equipment $1.28B 33.18%
Apparel, textiles, nonwool or cotton $13.25B 27.26%
Camping apparel and gear $3.41B 26.67%
Finished metal shapes $8.15B 26.26%
Apparel, household goods - cotton $9.80B 24.91%
Cookware, cutlery, tools $2.52B 24.50%


  • Over the 12 months through August 2026, the top countries of origin by calculated duty revenue were China ($72.32 billion), Vietnam ($23.07 billion), and Mexico ($22.15 billion).

  • The average applied duty rates on the goods from those countries were 27.64 percent, 9.15 percent, and 3.72 percent, respectively.




Table 12. Top calculated duties by country of origin

Country of origin Calculated duty Average applied duty rate
China $72.32B 27.64%
Vietnam $23.07B 9.15%
Mexico $22.15B 3.72%
Japan $17.23B 12.17%
Germany $14.93B 9.81%
South Korea $13.38B 9.10%
India $13.01B 13.41%
Canada $12.65B 3.23%
Thailand $9.03B 7.01%
Taiwan $7.69B 2.97%



Table 13. Top average applied duty rates by country of origin

Country of origin Calculated duty Average applied duty rate
Bahrain $305.76M 32.71%
Burma (Myanmar) $196.33M 31.28%
Bangladesh $2.64B 27.86%
China $72.32B 27.64%
Laos $188.78M 25.50%
Serbia $201.68M 24.74%
Sri Lanka $742.90M 24.63%
Cambodia $4.25B 24.02%
Azerbaijan $21.41M 23.78%
Pakistan $1.25B 23.13%


Prices and inflation


Exchange rates


Terms of trade (ToT) is the ratio of a country’s export prices to its import prices. Stronger ToT means a country can buy more imports for a given amount of exports. A stronger U.S. dollar can improve U.S. ToT with trading partners by lowering the dollar price of imports from the foreign country.


From August 2025 to August 2026:

The U.S. dollar:

  • Weakened against the Chinese yuan by 5.9 percent.

  • Strengthened against the Euro by 0.3 percent.

  • Weakened against the British pound by 1.2 percent.

  • Strengthened against the Japanese yen by 7.8 percent.

  • Weakened against the Mexican peso by 9.1 percent.


Table 14. USD to foreign currency exchange rates

Currency Aug 31, 2026 Jul 30, 2026 M/M difference Sep 02, 2025 Y/Y difference
Chinese yuan ¥6.72 ¥6.76 -0.52% ¥7.14 -5.87%
Euro €0.86 €0.87 -0.82% €0.86 0.31%
British pound £0.74 £0.74 -0.64% £0.75 -1.17%
Japanese yen ¥159.74 ¥159.47 0.17% ¥148.23 7.76%
Mexican peso MX$17.01 MX$17.34 -1.90% MX$18.72 -9.13%

Note: Currencies are sorted in alphabetical order by their ISO 4217 codes. The date shown in the third column is the date 22 business days before the date shown in the second column.



Exports





Table 15. Exported goods inflation

Aug 2026 Jul 2026 M/M difference Aug 2025 Y/Y difference
Month-over-month inflation
All exports 0.61% -1.43% 2.04pp 0.13% 0.48pp
Agricultural exports 0.45% 0.37% 0.08pp -0.13% 0.58pp
Nonagricultural exports 0.69% -1.61% 2.30pp 0.20% 0.49pp
Foods, feeds, and beverages 0.44% 0.44% 0.00pp -0.04% 0.48pp
Industrial supplies and materials 1.34% -3.87% 5.21pp 0.00% 1.34pp
Capital goods 0.15% 0.39% -0.24pp 0.16% -0.01pp
Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines 0.30% 0.52% -0.22pp 0.15% 0.15pp
Consumer goods 0.00% 0.00% 0.00pp 0.50% -0.50pp
Year-over-year inflation
All exports 8.63% 8.12% 0.51pp 3.24% 5.39pp
Agricultural exports 5.79% 5.17% 0.62pp 5.03% 0.76pp
Nonagricultural exports 8.92% 8.40% 0.52pp 3.09% 5.83pp
Foods, feeds, and beverages 5.68% 5.17% 0.51pp 5.93% -0.25pp
Industrial supplies and materials 17.36% 15.80% 1.56pp 3.94% 13.42pp
Capital goods 3.41% 3.42% -0.01pp 2.19% 1.22pp
Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines 2.26% 2.11% 0.15pp 2.47% -0.21pp
Consumer goods 2.74% 3.25% -0.51pp 2.29% 0.45pp


Imports


This inflation can reflect both changes in trade policy and the composition of goods imported in each category. See the Notes section for important information on interpreting this data.





Table 16. Imported goods inflation

Aug 2026 Jul 2026 M/M difference Aug 2025 Y/Y difference
Month-over-month inflation
All imports 1.06% -0.67% 1.73pp 0.76% 0.30pp
Fuels and lubricants -0.12% -6.64% 6.52pp 0.20% -0.32pp
All imports, excluding fuels 1.21% -0.04% 1.25pp 0.74% 0.47pp
Foods, feeds, and beverages 0.58% 0.14% 0.44pp -2.82% 3.40pp
Industrial supplies and materials 0.85% -3.20% 4.05pp 1.35% -0.50pp
Capital goods 1.23% 0.64% 0.59pp 1.05% 0.18pp
Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines 0.20% 0.39% -0.19pp -0.70% 0.90pp
Consumer goods 1.67% -0.44% 2.11pp 1.42% 0.25pp
Year-over-year inflation
All imports 3.45% 3.13% 0.32pp 7.47% -4.02pp
Fuels and lubricants 14.30% 14.67% -0.37pp 0.02% 14.28pp
All imports, excluding fuels 2.02% 1.55% 0.47pp 8.36% -6.34pp
Foods, feeds, and beverages 0.48% -2.92% 3.40pp 5.24% -4.76pp
Industrial supplies and materials 16.65% 17.22% -0.57pp 5.11% 11.54pp
Capital goods 3.58% 3.40% 0.18pp 7.63% -4.05pp
Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines -4.05% -4.91% 0.86pp 13.16% -17.21pp
Consumer goods -1.22% -1.47% 0.25pp 9.39% -10.61pp


Upcoming releases


Date Time Release Data source
Oct 14 08:30 AM Monthly Inflation Update, September 2026 Bureau of Labor Statistics
Oct 14 10:00 AM Monthly Fiscal Update, September 2026 U.S. Treasury
Oct 20 10:00 AM State Employment and Unemployment, September 2026 Bureau of Labor Statistics
Oct 29 08:30 AM Monthly Expenditures Update, September 2026 Bureau of Economic Analysis
Oct 29 08:30 AM Monthly GDP Update, Q3 2026 Advance Estimate Bureau of Economic Analysis
Nov 04 08:30 AM Monthly Trade Update, September 2026 Bureau of Economic Analysis
Nov 06 08:30 AM Monthly Employment Update, October 2026 Bureau of Labor Statistics
Nov 06 10:00 AM Monthly Debt Update, November 2026 U.S. Treasury


Notes


Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of the Treasury; Bureau of Labor Statistics; JEC Republicans calculations


Terminology


Duty: Customs duties are calculated by Customs and Border Protection and may overstate or understate the final total that is ultimately collected by the U.S. Treasury. These duties include tariffs.

Average applied duty rate: The sum of calculated duties as a share of total imports for consumption.

Imports for consumption: The total value of goods cleared through U.S. Customs either by entering consumption channels immediately or by entering via a bonded warehouse or Foreign Trade Zone under CBP custody.

Bonded warehouses: Private warehouses that hold goods after arrival to the U.S. under a bond that indemnifies the government until import duties are paid for those goods.

Foreign Trade Zones: Areas in or around ports where goods brought to the U.S. can be processed and modified before entering customs territory. If these goods leave the U.S. instead of entering U.S. customs territory, they are considered re-exports.

This type of imports include only those goods that enter U.S. customs territory, not all goods that physically arrive in U.S. ports. Duties are only paid on those goods that enter customs territory, so this type of imports is used in the “Import duties” section of this update.

Port district: Groups of air, land, and sea ports, typically in close geographical proximity to one another, categorized by CBP. The full list of districts and their ports are published in Schedule D, a statistical annex in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, and can be found here.

Low-value shipments: Shipments whose value is so low that trade is estimated instead of being based on trade filings. These are shipments with a value of less than $2,500 for exports.

N.E.C.: “Not elsewhere classified”

Y/Y difference: The change from the same month one year prior.


Adjustments


Census basis: All data on the international trade of goods comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, which gathers data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Canadian Customs, and Statistics Canada. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) makes some adjustments to this data to create the headline trade figures shown in the section above, such as including nonmonetary gold trade, goods procured in foreign ports by U.S. carriers, goods procured in U.S. ports by foreign carriers, imports by U.S. military agencies, and more. The full list of adjustments can be found here.


  • In August, adjustments to exports amounted to $1.68 billion, or 0.01 percent.

  • In August, adjustments to imports amounted to $6.18 billion, or 0.02 percent.

  • Therefore, in total, the trade balance figure for August adjusted by BEA is $4.50 billion higher than the respective Census basis figure.


  • Over the 12 months through August 2026, adjustments to exports amounted to $14.15 billion, or 0.01 percent.

  • Over the 12 months through August 2026, adjustments to imports amounted to $47.05 billion, or 0.01 percent.

  • Therefore, in total, the trade balance figure for the past 12 months adjusted by BEA is $32.90 billion higher than the respective Census basis figure.


Balance of payments: The data adjusted by the BEA to align with its concepts and definitions used in the international and national economic accounts.

Corrections to exports to Canada: The data for exports to Canada in the current year are estimates of late arrivals and corrections. These values are adjusted to the actual value annually.

Duty effect: JEC Republicans adjust the price index for imported goods from BLS, which excludes import duties, with the average applied duty rates derived from Census data to estimate post-duty price indexes. These rates are affected by changes in policy that impact the proportion of each good’s value collected by the government as a duty. Additionally, because these rates are averaged across broad categories of goods, changes can reflect the composition of goods imported within the category, for example a relative shift from goods with high duty rates toward those with lower duty rates. Therefore, the post-duty price index inflation reported may reflect not only policy changes but also shifts in the composition of imports.

Totals: Totals of values “from August 2025 to August 2026” are the sum over 12 months, inclusive of the latter month but not the former. Year-over-year values represent the change from August 2025 to August 2026.