US semiconductor imports reached a record $15.4 billion in August, nearly twice the $7.8 billion in exports and producing a $7.6 billion monthly deficit, compared with a surplus of almost $400 million a year earlier. Imports totaled $90.5 billion during the first eight months of 2026, up from $49.2 billion in the same period of 2025, while exports increased by more than $10 billion. The surge reflects relentless business spending on AI data centers and other high-tech goods, with capital-goods imports rising 66% year over year, according to Grace Zwemmer, a US economist at Oxford Economics. Related products including computers and accessories also saw imports accelerate. The increase highlights persistent US reliance on overseas chips even as the Chips and Science Act has supported new domestic manufacturing facilities under the Biden and Trump administrations. Existing data also show total imports reached a record $420.8 billion in August and the goods-and-services deficit widened to $105.6 billion, creating a potential drag on GDP because imported equipment subtracts from measured domestic output.