- U.S. trade deficit dropped 78% due to tariffs, says President Trump on Truth Social
- November 2025 deficit rose again to $56.8 billion before December data release
- December 2025 may show first U.S. trade surplus since 1975, predicted at $55.5 billion
U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Truth Social on Wednesday that his trade tariffs had caused the nation's trade deficit to drastically shrink and that the United States is set to have its first trade surplus in decades.
In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump claimed, “THE UNITED STATES TRADE DEFICIT HAS BEEN REDUCED BY 78% BECAUSE OF THE TARIFFS BEING CHARGED TO OTHER COMPANIES AND COUNTRIES."
In October 2025, the U.S. trade deficit for goods and services decreased to $29.4 billion, a significant reduction from the all-time high of $140.5 billion recorded in March 2025, a decline of nearly 79%, as revealed by government statistics. However, the trade deficit expanded to $56.8 billion in November 2025.
First surplus since 1975?
Trump's remarks surfaced just before the official trade statistics for December 2025, which are set to be released on Thursday. Predictions indicate a trade surplus of $55.50 billion for the month, the nation's first positive monthly trade balance since 1975, per government data.
The United States is projected to experience a trade deficit exceeding $800 billion in 2025, down from an all-time high of $1.2 trillion in 2024. The deficit for 2025 is primarily attributed to a spike in imports during the first quarter of the year, as domestic importers accumulated various products ahead of Trump's so-called liberation day tariffs set for April.
Trade tariffs ranged From 10% to 50%
In 2025, Trump implemented trade tariffs on an extensive array of products, imposing duties on numerous nations, ranging anywhere from 10% to 50%. Despite the President reducing many of his highest tariffs after engaging in negotiations and trade agreements with several key countries,the move did lead to a reduction in imports, particularly from China.
Imports of goods from China to the U.S. fell to $288 billion during the January-November 2025 timeframe, from $401 billion in the corresponding period in 2024. However, the decline in Chinese imports was largely balanced out by a rise in imports from various other Asian and European nations, as indicated by government statistics.
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