Trade accounts · Friday, September 25, 2026
U.S. current-account deficit widened to $246.0 billion in the second quarter, BEA says
The File desk · Sep. 25, 2026, 6:30 a.m. ET
Confirmed3 primary sources
Status
Confirmed (BEA release, Sept. 24, 2026)
On Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said the U.S. current-account deficit — the gap between what America pays the world and what it earns from the world — widened by $33.4 billion, or 15.7 percent, to $246.0 billion in the second quarter of 2026. The revised first-quarter deficit was $212.6 billion. The second-quarter deficit was 3.0 percent of current-dollar gross domestic product, up from 2.7 percent in the first quarter. The country’s net international investment position was –$22.42 trillion at the end of the quarter.
On Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said the U.S. current-account deficit widened by $33.4 billion, or 15.7 percent, to $246.0 billion in the second quarter.
The revised first-quarter deficit was $212.6 billion.
The second-quarter deficit was 3.0 percent of current-dollar gross domestic product, up from 2.7 percent in the first quarter.
The bureau said the wider gap reflected a larger deficit on goods, partly offset by smaller deficits on primary income, which it calls earned income, and on secondary income, which it calls current transfers.
The net international investment position, the difference between U.S. residents’ foreign financial assets and liabilities, was –$22.42 trillion at the end of the quarter. Assets totaled $46.97 trillion. Liabilities totaled $69.39 trillion. The revised position at the end of the first quarter was –$21.27 trillion.
Net financial-account transactions were –$369.7 billion in the second quarter. The bureau said that figure reflects net U.S. borrowing from foreign residents.
The release lists the next international-transactions report for Dec. 18, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. EST, covering the third quarter.
This is not a new Consumer Price Index, jobs report, or gross-domestic-product print. The third estimate of second-quarter gross domestic product is still on the bureau’s schedule for Sept. 30.
How we know
What is still unknown or disputed
- How much of the goods deficit widening will revise with the Sept. 30 gross-domestic-product third estimate; market reaction.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
U.S. International Transactions and Investment Position, 2nd Quarter 2026
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · September 24, 2026
The U.S. current-account deficit resulting from international economic transactions widened by $33.4 billion, or 15.7 percent, to $246.0 billion in the second quarter of 2026, according to statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The revised first-quarter deficit was $212.6 billion. The second-quarter deficit was 3.0 percent of current-dollar gross domestic product, up from 2.7 percent in the first quarter.
https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/us-international-transactions-and-investment-position-2nd-quarter-2026
Source 2
Full release PDF, U.S. International Transactions and Investment Position, 2nd Quarter 2026
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · September 24, 2026
Full release PDF linked from the Sept. 24, 2026 news page. The page’s lead sentence: the current-account deficit widened by $33.4 billion, or 15.7 percent, to $246.0 billion.
https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/ita-iip226.pdf
Source 3
International Transactions product page
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · September 24, 2026
The U.S. current-account deficit resulting from international economic transactions widened by $33.4 billion, or 15.7 percent, to $246.0 billion in the second quarter of 2026… Current Release: September 24, 2026. Next Release: December 18, 2026.
https://www.bea.gov/data/intl-trade-investment/international-transactions