finance
Treasury Raises Q2 2026 Borrowing Estimate to $189 Billion
The Treasury Department now expects to borrow $189 billion in the April-June 2026 quarter, citing weaker-than-projected cash flow. The update comes as new tax breaks and tariff refunds reduce federal receipts. Bond market analysts describe the broader debt dynamics as sending an unprecedented signal.
May 9, 6:37 PM·2m read1 source
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The Treasury Department announced this week that it expects to borrow more than anticipated in the current April-June 2026 quarter because incoming cash flow has been weaker than initially projected. The department now forecasts borrowing of $189 billion for the period. That figure is $79 billion more than its February projection.
After adjusting for a larger-than-expected cash balance at the start of the quarter, the new borrowing guidance for Q2 2026 is $122 billion higher than previously projected. With tax-filing deadlines coming in April, the spring quarter typically requires less borrowing than other times of the year.
The Treasury Department borrowed $577 billion during the January-March 2026 quarter and expects to borrow $671 billion during the July-September 2026 quarter.
Americans benefited from new tax breaks enacted in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act during this filing season. The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs earlier this year. Importers have started getting refunds as a result, with as much as $166 billion that could be returned.
For Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial, the borrowing update is the latest example of the immense supply of fresh debt that the Treasury Department is issuing. In a recent blog post titled “The bond market is shouting,” Malek pointed out that the Federal Reserve has cut the benchmark rate by 175 basis points since mid-2024.
The 10-year Treasury yield has only dipped by about 35 basis points since mid-2024.
“That kind of disconnect is not normal,” Malek warned. ” The bond market is not broken, Malek wrote. It is sending a message. U.S. Interest costs on the debt at $1 trillion per year. The recent explosion of debt prompted the IMF to warn that the “safety premium” on Treasury bonds is disappearing.
