US current account deficit widens more than expected in first quarter

Reuters

Wed, June 24, 2026 astatine 8:29 AM CDT 2 min read

WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. existent relationship shortage widened much than expected successful the archetypal 4th amid ‌a shortfall connected the superior income balance, authorities information ‌showed connected Wednesday.

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said the existent relationship ​deficit, which measures the travel of goods, services and investments into and retired of the country, accrued $5.8 billion, oregon 2.6%, to $226.8 cardinal past quarter.

Data for the 4th fourth was revised to ‌show the shortage astatine $221.1 ⁠billion alternatively of the antecedently estimated $190.7 billion. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the existent relationship shortage ⁠widening to $215.0 billion.

The first-quarter existent relationship shortage represented 2.9% of gross home product, up from 2.8% successful the October-December quarter. It ​peaked astatine ​6.3% successful the 3rd 4th ​of 2006. The existent ‌account shortage has nary interaction connected the dollar fixed the greenback's presumption arsenic a reserve currency.

The superior income equilibrium slipped into a $13.3 cardinal shortfall past 4th from a $3.431 cardinal surplus. That partially offset a contraction successful the commercialized shortage to $165.8 cardinal ‌from $177.3 cardinal successful the October-December quarter.

Primary income ​receipts dropped to $396.1 cardinal from $402.2 cardinal ​in the anterior quarter. ​Primary income payments jumped to a grounds $409.1 cardinal ‌from $398.8 cardinal successful the 4th ​quarter.

The study besides ​showed a $3.3 cardinal summation successful capital-transfer receipts to $3.4 cardinal past quarter, portion payments fell $0.9 cardinal to $2.0 billion. The U.S. ​maintained a antagonistic ‌net planetary concern position, which is the quality betwixt ​U.S. residents' overseas fiscal assets and liabilities.

(Reporting by Lucia ​Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )