Trade Deficit in U.S. Widens as Olympics Drive Imports Higher

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 Wednesday 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.