US Trade Gap Widens to Largest in Four Months on Import Flurry

The US trade deficit widened in July to a four-month high as companies raced to import goods and materials before President Donald Trump unveiled new tariffs on global trading partners.

The goods and services trade gap grew nearly 33% from the prior month to $78.3 billion, Commerce Department data showed Thursday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a nearly $78 billion deficit.

The value of imports increased 5.9% in July, the most since the start of the year, while exports edged up. The figures aren’t adjusted for inflation.

The surge in imports was ...