[The U.S. merchandise trade deficit unexpectedly expanded, the largest since 2025] September 30th: The U.S. merchandise trade deficit unexpectedly expanded in August, reflecting a significant increase in imports of petroleum products and other industrial supplies. Data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce on Wednesday showed that the merchandise trade deficit expanded 11.5% in August from the previous month to $132.6 billion, the largest since the beginning of 2025. Economists' median forecast was for a deficit of $115 billion. The above figures have not been adjusted for inflation. Merchandise imports increased by 5.5%, with imports of industrial supplies soaring by 16.6%, becoming the main driving factor. Imports of capital goods, a category that includes computers and accessories, semiconductors and telecommunications equipment, also increased. U.S. merchandise exports increased by 1.9%, with exports of industrial supplies also picking up. The trade deficit has been volatile as the war with Iran boosts global demand for U.S. petroleum products and as U.S. companies stockpile goods and raw materials to cushion the impact of supply chain disruptions. At the same time, imports of equipment related to the construction of artificial intelligence infrastructure have surged.