With the value of exports jumping and the value of imports falling, the Commerce Department released a report on Thursday showing the U.S. trade deficit narrowed much more than expected in the month of August.
The Commerce Department said the trade deficit shrank to $58.3 billion in August from a revised $64.7 billion in July, falling to the lowest level since September 2020.
Economists had expected the trade deficit to decrease to $62.3 billion from the $65.0 billion originally reported for the previous month.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
August 21, 2026 14:42 ET The minutes of the latest policy meeting of the Federal Reserve, housing market data and manufacturing sector survey results were the main news for the U.S. economy this week. In Europe, inflation data from the U.K. was the highlight, while consumer price data from Japan drew attention in Asia.