The U.S. trade deficit widened to $57.3 billion in February from $54.7 billion in January, as imports and exports both posted solid gains. Imports increased by 4.3%, slightly higher than the 4.2% rise in exports.

Exports grew for the second straight month, rising by $12.6 billion to $314.8 billion. Goods exports led the increase, climbing $11.5 billion, driven by higher shipments of industrial supplies such as nonmonetary gold, along with stronger natural gas exports. Services exports also moved up, supported by gains in travel, financial services, and intellectual property. However, part of the rise in exports reflects volatile gold flows, which are typically excluded from GDP calculations, meaning the actual boost to economic activity may be smaller.

Imports showed a strong rebound, increasing by $14.0 billion on the goods side, mainly due to a surge in capital goods demand linked to AI investments. Services imports also rose, largely because of higher payments for intellectual property.

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