Current account and capital flows · United States

United States Net Long-term TIC Flows

The United States Net Long-term TIC Flows measures money flowing between the United States and the rest of the world: trade, income and transfers (current account), or investment in and out of the country.

Importance
Medium
Released
Monthly
Next release
Currency
USD · US dollar
Central bank
The Federal Reserve
Moves
AUDUSD · EURUSD · GAUUSD# · GBPUSD · NZDUSD · USDCAD · USDCHF · USDCNH

Latest figures

The latest release for AUG, published on 16 October 2026, came in at $279.2B.

ReleasedForActualConsensusPrevious
16 Oct 2026AUG$279.2B$75.2B$-27.9B
16 Sep 2026JUL$-27.9B$146.3B$174.4B ®
17 Aug 2026JUN$172.7B$151.4B$231.2B ®
14 Jul 2026MAY$232.7B$128B$104.8B ®
18 Jun 2026APR$103.1B$75B$79.9B ®
18 May 2026MAR$81.3B–$57B ®
15 Apr 2026FEB$58.6B$36.6B$2.4B ®
18 Mar 2026JAN$15.5B$71.6B$96.5B ®
18 Feb 2026DEC$28B–$206.6B ®
15 Jan 2026NOV$220.2B–$30.9B ®
18 Dec 2025OCT$17.5B$122.7B$173.2B ®
18 Nov 2025AUG$134.2B$126.1B$39B ®

See it in the economic calendar →

Why it matters

A current-account deficit must be financed by foreign capital, which makes a currency vulnerable when investors turn cautious; a surplus country lends to the world. Capital-flow data show whether foreigners are buying the country's bonds and shares. Tourism and remittances are large sources of foreign currency for some economies.

How it is calculated

The balance of payments records every transaction with non-residents: goods, services, income, transfers (current account) and investment (financial account); the two mirror each other.

Current account = trade balance + primary income + secondary income
Current account + capital account + financial account ≈ 0

What changes mean

  • A deficit above about 4–5% of GDP is often seen as a risk for emerging-market currencies.
  • Large foreign purchases of local bonds support the currency.

Higher than expected: A larger surplus or stronger inflows than expected tend to support the US dollar.

Lower than expected: A larger deficit or weaker inflows than expected tend to weigh on the US dollar.

A short history

Balance-of-payments accounting was standardised by the International Monetary Fund after 1945; current-account crises shaped events from the 1990s emerging-market crises to the euro debt crisis.

Questions

What is the United States Net Long-term TIC Flows?

The United States Net Long-term TIC Flows measures money flowing between the United States and the rest of the world: trade, income and transfers (current account), or investment in and out of the country.

What was the latest United States Net Long-term TIC Flows?

$279.2B for AUG, published on 16 October 2026 (consensus $75.2B, previous $-27.9B).

When is the next United States Net Long-term TIC Flows?

On Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 21:00 UTC.

Educational content only, not investment advice. Figures are the published results as recorded by our calendar; market reactions described are typical, not guaranteed.