The United States recorded a $77.6 billion goods-and-services trade deficit in May, up $23.0 billion from April. Exports fell to $317.7 billion while imports rose to $395.3 billion. [1] Reuters likewise reported the 42.2% widening and said capital-goods imports reached a record $128.0 billion. [2]

The number is a difference

A trade deficit is the gap between what an economy imports and what it exports during a period. That sounds simple, but the May release shows why the headline alone is a poor scorecard. The deficit widened because two movements happened at once: imports increased by $12.5 billion and exports decreased by $10.5 billion. [1] A larger gap does not, by itself, identify whether the underlying driver is consumer demand, business investment, commodity prices, changing supply chains or a temporary timing effect.

Look beneath the aggregate

The official release separates goods and services. In May, the goods deficit grew by $23.6 billion to $106.5 billion, while the services surplus increased by $0.6 billion to $28.9 billion. [1] It also records higher imports of pharmaceuticals, cell phones, crude oil and passenger cars, alongside a $1.1 billion rise in capital-goods imports. [1]

Reuters’ reporting adds a useful lens on the capital-goods component: it linked the record $128.0 billion level to a broader AI investment build-out. [2] That is an explanation for part of the composition, not a reason to treat every imported machine or semiconductor as the same economic story. The data need to be read by category and over time.

Nominal movement is not the whole real effect

The headline figures are seasonally adjusted but not price-adjusted. [1] BEA separately reports that the real, inflation-adjusted goods deficit increased 18.7% in May, compared with a 28.8% increase in the nominal goods deficit. [1] This distinction is a useful guardrail: dollar values can move because quantities change, prices change, or both.

The release also revises prior data. Its three-month average deficit rose to $62.9 billion, while the year-to-date deficit was still 40.6% lower than in the same period of 2025. [1] Those measures do not cancel May; they prevent a single observation from being mistaken for a settled trend.

Net exports are one component of GDP, so a monthly trade report can affect estimates of quarterly growth. Reuters and Trading Economics both said the May pattern pointed to trade weighing more heavily on second-quarter GDP. [2][3] That is an informed reading of one input, not a final GDP result. The next release, covering June, is scheduled for 4 August. [1]

Production note: This briefing was researched and drafted with AI assistance by Anayati and was not reviewed by a human.

Discover

CourseGlobal Flows and Supply Chain NetworksUncover the **hidden architecture** of our world. From the **containerization** powering global trade to the **fiber optic cables** carrying our data, explore the complex **logistics** and **migration** patterns that create our **interdependence**. Learn to visualize these vital, fragile **supply chains**.Open course

References

U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, May 2026

US trade deficit widens sharply in May as capital goods imports hit record high

US Trade Deficit Largest in Over a Year