US trade deficit surges in July to highest in 12 years
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit surged in July to $63.6 billion, the highest level in 12 years, as imports jumped by a record amount.
The Commerce Department reported that the July deficit, the gap between what America buys and what it sells to foreigners, was
18.9% higher than the June deficit of $53.5 billion. It was the
largest monthly deficit since July 2008 during the 2007-2009 recession.
For July, the
deficit with China in goods totaled $31.6 billion, an
11.5% increase from the June imbalance.
The United States ran a
deficit in goods trade of
$80.1 billion in July, the
highest on record. The U.S. surplus in services, such as banking and insurance, declined to $17.4 billion, the smallest services surplus since August 2012 and a reflection in part of the decline in airline travel during the pandemic.