US Trade Deficit Reaches $106 Billion in August

The United States recorded a trade deficit of $106 billion in August, according to a report from the US Commerce Department.

The report, released on Tuesday, showed that the trade gap widened by more than expected during the month.

The deficit measures the difference between the value of US imports and exports, with the August figure showing that purchases from abroad exceeded sales overseas.

A widening deficit reflects a larger gap between those two flows. It does not, on its own, establish whether the change was driven by rising imports, falling exports or a combination of both.