Foreign Holdings of US Debt Surge to Record High of $8.5 Trillion

Japan added billions to holdings, while China reduced its exposure to U.S. government debt.

U.S. currency, in a file image. Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images

Foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury securities surged to an all-time high in August, data from the Treasury Department confirmed on Oct. 17.

Holdings of U.S. Treasurys rose to $8.5 trillion, up from $8.3 trillion in July and a nearly 12 percent year-over-year increase.