US Imports Down in January

Imports in the United States decreased 0.7% to $356.6 billion in January 2026, led by falls in purchases of pharmaceutical preparations, trucks, buses, and special purpose vehicles, passenger cars and nonmonetary gold. On the other hand, imports rose for computers and telecommunications equipment. The largest share of imports came from Mexico ($45.6 billion), the EU ($40.7 billion), Canada ($29.8 billion), Taiwan ($22.7 billion), Vietnam ($20.4 billion) and China ($21.2 billion).

US imports of goods and services rose by $12.3 billion, or 3.6%, to $357.6 billion in December 2025, marking a second straight monthly increase and the highest level since July. Goods imports climbed by $10.2 billion to $280.2 billion, driven primarily by a $7.0 billion rise in industrial supplies and materials, including nonmonetary gold, copper, and crude oil. Capital goods imports also increased by $5.6 billion, supported by higher purchases of computer accessories and telecommunications equipment. In contrast, consumer goods imports fell by $3.5 billion, largely due to weaker demand for pharmaceutical preparations. Services imports rose by $2.0 billion to $77.4 billion, reflecting gains in transport and travel. For 2025 as a whole, total imports jumped by $197.8 billion to a record $4.33 trillion, as the rollout of US tariffs in the first half of the year prompted businesses and consumers to front-load purchases, pushing inbound shipments to an all-time high.

US imports of goods and services rose by $16.8 billion, or 5.0%, to $348.9 billion in November 2025, partially rebounding from a 21-month low of $332.1 billion in October, driven entirely by goods imports, which climbed $16.8 billion to $272.5 billion. Consumer goods led the gains, up $9.2 billion, largely due to higher pharmaceutical imports. Capital goods imports also increased by $7.4 billion, supported by stronger inflows of computers and semiconductors, while imports of other goods rose by $1.9 billion. In contrast, industrial supplies and materials fell by $2.4 billion. Meanwhile, services imports edged down $0.1 billion to $76.3 billion, weighed mainly by lower travel-related spending.