Trade Deficit in U.S. Widens as Services Imports Rise

The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly widened in August, as higher imports of capital goods and record purchases of services from abroad overshadowed a gain in exports.

The gap grew by 3 percent from the prior month to $40.7 billion, Commerce Department figures showed Oct. 5 in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a deficit of $39.2 billion. Imports posted a 1.2 percent rise, while exports increased 0.8 percent.

Services imports jumped by $1.5 billion to $43 billion, with most of the rise coming from charges for use of intellectual property that may reflect a ...