US Goods Trade Deficit Narrows Sharply in April as Imports Plunge

2025-05-30 12:40 By Dongting Liu 1 min. read

The US trade deficit in goods narrowed significantly to $87.6 billion in April 2025, down $74.6 billion, or 46%, from a record $162.3 billion in March, according to an advance estimate.

The sharp contraction was driven by a 19.8% drop in imports, following a 5.7% increase the previous month, as the Trump administration’s new tariffs took effect.

Import declines were broad-based, with the steepest drops seen in consumer goods (-32.3%), industrial supplies (-31.1%), and automotive vehicles (-19.1%).

At the same time, exports continued to rise, increasing 3.4% in April after a 2.3% gain in March.

Growth was led by industrial supplies (+15.5%) and other goods (+10.1%).

However, exports of automotive vehicles fell sharply (-21.6%), along with consumer goods (-7.4%).



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