Trucks move goods in a shipping container next to large stacks of shipping containers and cranes at the Port of Long Beach Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026.

Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

The U.S. trade deficit widened sharply in August amid an influx of goods related to the artificial intelligence buildout and the vagaries of import tariffs, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

Imports swelled 4.3% for the month, pushing the total imbalance to $105.6 billion. That marked a 13.7% jump from July and was ahead of the Dow Jones consensus estimate for $102 billion.

It also was the steepest deficit since the all-time gap in March 2025, recorded just before President Donald Trump's "liberation day" announcement of reciprocal tariffs against U.S. trading partners.

Though the monthly total was up, the year-to-date deficit of $138.2 billion was off nearly 20% from the same period a year ago.