The U.S. goods trade deficit widened to $87.9 billion in March 2026 from $83.5 billion in February, slightly above market expectations of an $87 billion gap. Goods exports rose 2.5% to a record $211.5 billion, driven primarily by industrial supplies—the largest export category—which increased 4.9%. Additional gains came from capital goods (up 0.8%), foods, feeds and beverages (up 7.4%), and autos (up 5.1%). By contrast, exports of consumer goods, which account for about 10% of total goods exports, declined 7.5%.
On the import side, goods purchases grew at a faster pace, rising 3.3% to $299.3 billion. Capital goods—representing roughly 40% of total goods imports—were up 1%. Imports also increased across several other categories, including consumer goods (up 4.2%), industrial supplies (up 3.2%), autos (up 11%), and foods, feeds and beverages (up 3.3%).
