US Government Budget Surplus Jumps in April

2025-05-12 18:07 By Mojdeh Kazemi 1 min. read

The US government posted a $258 billion budget surplus in April, up 23% from the same month last year, driven by strong tax receipts and higher import duty collections.

The surge came during the final month of the tax season, when revenue typically peaks.

Net customs duties alone totaled $16 billion for the month, a $9 billion increase from the prior year, as steep tariffs on Chinese goods—some as high as 145%—and at least 10% tariffs on other imports boosted collections.

On average, the US collected over $500 million per day in tariffs during April, although this is down from the $2 billion per day President Trump claimed previously.

The surplus was also supported by $85 billion in deferred tax receipts from California and calendar effects that shifted some April expenses into earlier months.

However, officials expect tariff revenue to drop in the coming months following a temporary US-China agreement to reduce tariffs.



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