Prior was -$105.6 billionGoods trade balance -135.0B vs -$134.9 billion prelimUS-China balance -$21.87 vs -$18.4 priorExports $321.51 billion vs $315.67 billion priorImports of capital goods are a good measure of AI spending and that rose to $157.97 billion vs $146.41 billion previously. Expect that to stay high as long as the buildout continues.For background, the US international trade report is published jointly by the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis at 8:30 am ET, about five weeks after the reference month ends. It provides the full picture of US trade, adding services and detailed breakdowns to the advance goods figures released a week or so earlier.The headline figure is the overall trade balance in goods and services. The US runs a large deficit in goods, partly offset by a surplus in services such as travel, financial services, intellectual property charges and business services. The goods figures here are on a balance of payments basis, which adjusts the Census data for coverage and timing, so they differ slightly from the advance numbers.The report breaks exports and imports down by end-use category and shows bilateral balances with major trading partners, including China, Mexico, Canada, the European Union, Japan and Vietnam. Those country figures have become politically charged, as bilateral deficits feature heavily in tariff policy and trade negotiations.For GDP, the key detail is real goods trade, adjusted for inflation, which feeds into the net exports component. Revisions to the advance goods data and the addition of services can shift growth estimates.Trade has been one of the most volatile areas of the US economy in recent years. Waves of tariff front-running, followed by pullbacks, have produced record swings in imports and the deficit. Large flows of nonmonetary gold have added further noise. The report rarely moves currencies on its own, but it’s central to tracking how tariffs are reshaping supply chains and trading relationships. Statistics Canada often releases its own monthly trade data at the same time. This article was written by Adam Button at investinglive.com.