US Budget Deficit Widens 2% to $1.37 Trillion as Tariff Refunds Surge
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 13
US Budget Deficit Widens 2% to $1.37 Trillion as Tariff Refunds Surge
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 13
Summary
$1.37 trillion — the US federal deficit for the first nine months of fiscal 2026 — marked the first widening of the budget gap this fiscal year.
Treasury data showed the deficit was 2% larger than in the same period of 2025 after a large wave of refund payments tied to tariff increases the Supreme Court had declared illegal.
June alone posted a $120 billion deficit, underscoring how the refund outflows hit monthly budget results.
The figures point to court-driven tariff reversals becoming a direct fiscal drag on Washington's budget balance.