In that month, imports increased 5.9%, to 358.8 billion dollars, while exports did it only at 0.3%, reaching 280.5 billion dollars.
Briefing.com provided, based on an consensus of analysts, a much lower negative balance, of 64.2 billion dollars.
Pantheon Macroeconomics observers think that the growing commercial deficit is related to “another wave of pre -tariff movements.”
In April, President Donald Trump imposed a 10% tariff on almost all United States business partners, but postponed twice, until the beginning of August, a plan to increase these rates to dozens of economies, including key partners such as the European Union, Japan and India.
According to analysts, companies that increased their imports to anticipate tariff increases are exhausting their inventories, which means that they will probably have to make new purchases at higher costs.
According to data from the Department of Commerce, among the sectors that most increased their imports are those of industrial supplies and consumer goods.
The deficit with China grew in July at 5,300 million dollars, up to 14.7 billion dollars.
Mexico, with 16.6 billion dollars in favor, and above all Vietnam, with 16,100 million dollars, appear as countries that better take better advantage of the reorientation of commercial flows to the United States.
The deficit with the European Union continues to be reduced, up to 8.6 billion dollars.
