US Trade Deficit Hits Record $901 Billion in 2025
The United States trade deficit totaled $901 billion in 2025. This was a record high for goods trade.
The deficit stayed about the same despite Trump's tariffs. Services trade helped narrow the overall deficit slightly.
In December alone the deficit widened to $70.3 billion. The US set records for total trade and imports. Two months earlier the trade gap had hit a 16-year low.
Klear Note — A trade deficit means a country imports more goods than it exports. Tariffs are taxes on imported goods meant to reduce deficits.
Key Terms 3
- trade deficit When a country buys more from other countries than it sells to them.
- tariffs Taxes on goods bought from other countries.
- services trade Money earned from selling services like banking, tourism, and technology to other countries.