Trade deficits

Extracted Attributes

• Synonym

  Negative trade balance

• Definition

  Occurs when a country imports a greater monetary value of goods and services than it exports over a specific period.

• Economic View

  Modern trade experts and economists generally reject the idea that trade deficits are inherently detrimental to a nation's economy.

• US Trade Deficit (May 2025)

  71.52 USD Billion

• US Trade Deficit (April 2025)

  61.6 USD Billion

• US Trade Deficit (March 2025)

  138.3 USD Billion

• US Goods Trade Deficit (May 2025)

  96.6 USD Billion

• US Trade Deficit Average (1950-2025)

  -18.95 USD Billion

• US Largest Trade Deficit Partners (May 2025)

  European Union ($22.5 billion), Mexico ($17.1 billion), Vietnam ($14.9 billion), China ($14.0 billion), Ireland ($11.8 billion), Taiwan ($11.5 billion), Germany ($6.8 billion), Japan ($5.8 billion), South Korea ($5.4 billion), India ($5.1 billion), Canada ($2.8 billion), Italy ($2.6 billion), Malaysia ($2.4 billion), France ($0.5 billion)

Timeline

• The United States Balance of Trade began averaging -18.95 USD Billion from this year until 2025. (Source: Trading Economics)

  1950

• The United States recorded an all-time high trade surplus of 1.95 USD Billion. (Source: Trading Economics)

  1975-06

• The United States recorded a record low trade deficit of -138.32 USD Billion. (Source: Trading Economics)

  2025-03

• The U.S. goods and services deficit was $61.6 billion. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA))

  2025-04

• The United States recorded a trade deficit of 71.52 USD Billion. (Source: Trading Economics)

  2025-05

• In a fictional scenario, after a 'Liberation Day', the second term of President Donald Trump imposes steep tariffs on China and threatens broad tariffs on all other nations, causing massive volatility on Wall Street, with the aim of addressing trade deficits and re-industrializing the United States. (Source: Related Document)

  Date not specified

Balance of trade

Balance of trade is the difference between the monetary value of a nation's exports and imports of goods over a certain time period. Sometimes, trade in services is also included in the balance of trade but the official IMF definition only considers goods. The balance of trade measures a flow variable of exports and imports over a given period of time. The notion of the balance of trade does not mean that exports and imports are "in balance" with each other. If a country exports a greater value than it imports, it has a trade surplus or positive trade balance, and conversely, if a country imports a greater value than it exports, it has a trade deficit or negative trade balance. As of 2016, about 60 out of 200 countries have a trade surplus. The idea that a trade deficit is detrimental to a nation's economy is often rejected by modern trade experts and economists. The notion that bilateral trade deficits are bad in and of themselves is overwhelmingly rejected by trade experts and economists.

Web Search Results

• United States Balance of Trade - Trading Economics

  The United States recorded a trade deficit of 71.52 USD Billion in May of 2025. Balance of Trade in the United States averaged -18.95 USD Billion from 1950 until 2025, reaching an all time high of 1.95 USD Billion in June of 1975 and a record low of -138.32 USD Billion in March of 2025. This page provides the latest reported value for - United States Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey [...] pharmaceutical preparations. The biggest trade deficit was recorded with the EU ($-22.5 billion), compared with a $17.9 billion gap in April. The shortfall with Mexico also surged to $17.1 billion from $13.5 billion. The deficit with Canada ($-2.8 billion from $-2 billion) and Vietnam (-14.9 billion from $-14.5 billion) also widened. On the other hand, the shortfall with China narrowed to $14 billion from $19.7 billion. source: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) [...] ### The United States recorded a trade deficit of 71.52 USD Billion in May of 2025. Balance of Trade in the United States is expected to be -57.00 USD Billion by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United States Balance of Trade is projected to trend around -73.00 USD Billion in 2026 and -88.00 USD Billion in 2027, according to our econometric models. USD Billion 1Y3Y5Y10YMAX Export API OK

• U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, April 2025

  U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Deficit Deficit:$61.6 Billion–55.5%° Exports:$289.4 Billion+3.0%° Imports:$351.0 Billion–16.3%° Next release: Thursday, July 3, 2025 (°) Statistical significance is not applicable or not measurable. Data adjusted for seasonality but not price changes Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, June 5, 2025 Image 2: Goods and Services Trade Deficit: Seasonally adjusted [...] EMBARGOED UNTIL RELEASE AT 8:30 a.m. EDT, Thursday, June 5, 2025 BEA 25–20 CB 25–84 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, April 2025 ========================================================== The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $61.6 billion in April, down $76.7 billion from $138.3 billion in March, revised. [...] Year-to-date, the goods and services deficit increased $179.3 billion, or 65.7 percent, from the same period in 2024. Exports increased $58.4 billion or 5.5 percent. Imports increased $237.8 billion or 17.8 percent. Three-Month Moving Averages (exhibit 2) The average goods and services deficit decreased $22.9 billion to $107.3 billion for the three months ending in April.

• Advance Economic Indicators Report - U.S. Census Bureau

  The international trade deficit was $96.6 billion in May, up $9.6 billion from $87.0 billion in April. Exports of goods for May were $179.2 billion, $9.7 billion less than April exports. Imports of goods for May were $275.8 billion, $0.1 billion less than April imports. Advance Wholesale Inventories [...] Press Release =============== Image 1: U.S. flag An official website of the United States government Skip to main content Image 2: United States Census Bureau end of header Census.gov> Business & Economy> Advance Economic Indicators> Press Release Skip to looking for section Main About Data Time Series / Trend Charts Technical Documentation Release Schedule FAQs Contact Us Back to Our Surveys & Programs [...] Retail inventories for May, adjusted for seasonal variations and trading day differences, but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $806.6 billion, up 0.3 percent (±0.2 percent) from April 2025, and were up 3.2 percent (±0.7 percent) from May 2024. The March 2025 to April 2025 percentage change was unrevised from the preliminary estimate of virtually unchanged (±0.2 percent). ### Additional Release Tables in PDF and Excel Image 5: PDF File iconFull PDF Release

• [PDF] U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES, MAY ...

  ($5.1), Canada ($2.8), Italy ($2.6), Malaysia ($2.4), and France ($0.5). • The deficit with Mexico increased $3.6 billion to $17.1 billion in May. Exports decreased $0.3 billion to $27.5 billion and imports increased $3.3 billion to $44.6 billion. • The deficit with Ireland increased $2.4 billion to $11.8 billion in May. Exports increased $0.2 billion to $1.6 billion and imports increased $2.5 billion to $13.4 billion. • The deficit with China decreased $5.7 billion to $14.0 billion in May. [...] The May figures show surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Netherlands ($4.8), Hong Kong ($3.6), South and Central America ($3.3), Switzerland ($3.3), United Kingdom ($3.0), Australia ($1.5), Brazil ($0.5), Saudi Arabia ($0.5), Belgium ($0.4), Singapore ($0.3), and Israel ($0.1). Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with European Union ($22.5), Mexico ($17.1), Vietnam ($14.9), China ($14.0), Ireland ($11.8), Taiwan ($11.5), Germany ($6.8), Japan ($5.8), South Korea ($5.4), India [...] billion. Imports of services decreased $0.1 billion to $72.8 billion in May. • Transport decreased $0.4 billion. • Travel decreased $0.2 billion. • Other business services increased $0.1 billion. • Maintenance and repair services increased $0.1 billion. Real Goods in 2017 Dollars – Census Basis (Exhibit 11) The real goods deficit increased $8.1 billion, or 9.6 percent, to $92.5 billion in May, compared to a 12.3 percent increase in the nominal deficit. • Real exports of goods decreased $8.2

• U.S. Trade Balance 1970-2025 - Macrotrends

  | 2008 | $-740,871,000,000 | | 2007 | $-735,933,000,000 | | 2006 | $-786,453,000,000 | | 2005 | $-739,902,000,000 | | 2004 | $-634,141,000,000 | | 2003 | $-521,955,000,000 | | 2002 | $-439,745,000,000 | | 2001 | $-376,747,000,000 | | 2000 | $-381,073,000,000 | | 1999 | $-259,550,000,000 | | 1998 | $-162,711,000,000 | | 1997 | $-101,971,000,000 | | 1996 | $-96,377,000,000 | | 1995 | $-89,762,000,000 | | 1994 | $-92,487,000,000 | | 1993 | $-65,174,000,000 | | 1992 | $-34,738,000,000 | [...] | 1991 | $-28,613,000,000 | | 1990 | $-77,855,000,000 | | 1989 | $-86,741,000,000 | | 1988 | $-109,392,000,000 | | 1987 | $-144,770,000,000 | | 1986 | $-131,869,000,000 | | 1985 | $-114,018,000,000 | | 1984 | $-102,727,000,000 | | 1983 | $-51,642,000,000 | | 1982 | $-19,974,000,000 | | 1981 | $-12,519,000,000 | | 1980 | $-13,056,000,000 | | 1979 | $-22,545,000,000 | | 1978 | $-25,367,000,000 | | 1977 | $-23,094,000,000 | | 1976 | $-1,631,000,000 | | 1975 | $15.98B | | 1974 | $-815,000,000 | [...] | United States Trade Balance Billions of US $ | | --- | | 2023 | $-797,342,000,000 | | 2022 | $-958,935,000,000 | | 2021 | $-860,029,000,000 | | 2020 | $-626,202,000,000 | | 2019 | $-577,290,000,000 | | 2018 | $-593,077,000,000 | | 2017 | $-543,329,000,000 | | 2016 | $-503,272,000,000 | | 2015 | $-524,320,000,000 | | 2014 | $-508,900,000,000 | | 2013 | $-478,453,000,000 | | 2012 | $-551,617,000,000 | | 2011 | $-579,616,000,000 | | 2010 | $-532,308,000,000 | | 2009 | $-419,153,000,000 |