US Current Account Deficit Widens More than Expected

2026-06-24 12:38 By Andre Joaquim 1 min. read

The United States current account deficit widened to a seasonally adjusted $226.8 billion in the first quarter of 2026 from a revised $221.1 billion in the last quarter of 2025.

The widening took place despite the presidential administration's vocal efforts to reduce the current account gap in the US through tariffs and the higher turnover of energy exports in March as the war in the Middle East lifted oil, fuel, and gas prices.

The primary income account swung to a deficit of $-13.3 billion from a surplus of $3.4 billion in the earlier quarter as debits on investment income rose by over $15 billion, while credits fell by over $3 billion.

In turn, the secondary income gap widened to $47.8 billion from $47.1 billion.

Tempering a sharper deficit, the goods account deficit narrowed to $250.9 billion from $259.4 billion, while the services surplus widened to $85.1 billion from $82.1 billion.



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US Current Account Deficit Widens More than Expected
The United States current account deficit widened to a seasonally adjusted $226.8 billion in the first quarter of 2026 from a revised $221.1 billion in the last quarter of 2025. The widening took place despite the presidential administration's vocal efforts to reduce the current account gap in the US through tariffs and the higher turnover of energy exports in March as the war in the Middle East lifted oil, fuel, and gas prices. The primary income account swung to a deficit of $-13.3 billion from a surplus of $3.4 billion in the earlier quarter as debits on investment income rose by over $15 billion, while credits fell by over $3 billion. In turn, the secondary income gap widened to $47.8 billion from $47.1 billion. Tempering a sharper deficit, the goods account deficit narrowed to $250.9 billion from $259.4 billion, while the services surplus widened to $85.1 billion from $82.1 billion.
2026-06-24
US Current Account Gap at Lowest Since 2021
The United States current account deficit narrowed to a seasonally adjusted $190.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025 from $239.1 billion in the previous period, marking the lowest deficit since the first quarter of 2021. The goods deficit narrowed to $241.5 billion from $265.9 billion, as imports contracted more than exports, reflecting the impact of tariffs from the US presidential administration. Additionally, the primary income balance swung to a surplus of $23.9 billion from the deficit of $2.5 billion. In the meantime, the services surplus inched lower to $81.4 billion from $86.5 billion and the secondary income deficit inched down to $54.6 billion from $57.2 billion. The gap reflected a current account deficit of 2.4% of the US GDP in the fourth quarter, narrowing from 3.1% in the third quarter.
2026-03-25
US Current Account Deficit Narrows More than Expected
The United States current account deficit narrowed by $22.8 billion, or 9.2%, to $226.4 billion in the third quarter of 2025, more than market expectations of a $238 billion deficit. The reduction in the gap was mostly due to a narrowing in the goods deficit to $267.4 billion from $270.4 billion after firms pared back on imports after front-loading foreign purchases to dodge aggressive tariffs passed by the US Presidential Administration. In the meantime, the services surplus expanded to $89.2 billion from $80.6 billion. The primary account swung to a surplus of $5.2 billion from a deficit of $5.8 billion and the secondary income deficit narrowed slightly to $53.5 billion from $53.6 billion.
2026-01-14