WASHINGTON >> The U.S. government posted a lower $173 billion deficit in November as tariffs on imports helped to boost revenues, the Treasury Department said today.

The deficit last month was down $193 billion, or 53%, from the $367 billion deficit reported in November 2024. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the budget deficit at $205 billion. The shortfall in the first two months of fiscal 2026 totaled $458 billion compared to $624 billion in the same period in fiscal 2025.

Outlays for November totaled $509 billion, down from $669 billion in November 2024. A Treasury official said this was in part due to delays in payments following the recently ended 43-day shutdown of the government.

Receipts for November amounted to $336 billion, a record for the month, compared to the $302

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