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US Trade Deficit Widened in February by Less Than Forecast
Gap Grew 4.9% From January to $57.3 Billion
The U.S. trade deficit widened in February by less than forecast as both imports and exports increased.
The gap in goods and services trade grew 4.9% from the prior month to $57.3 billion, Commerce Department data showed April 2. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for an almost $61 billion deficit.
Exports rose 4.2% in February, driven by gold and natural gas shipments. Imports increased 4.3% on more inbound shipments of computers, semiconductors and automobiles. Goods imports rose an almost one-year high.
Charges for the use of imported intellectual property also rose, which may reflect a temporary boost fromÌýbroadcasting rightsÌýrelated to the Winter Olympics.
A year since President Donald Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff regime, the monthly swings in the .U.S trade balance continue to reflect the erratic rollout of the policy.Ìý
With tariff rates now at the lowest level since April 2025 after the Supreme Court struck down many of his levies, a key question is whether businesses will ramp up imports or shift toward domestic production this year. Following the ruling, the White House was quick toÌýreplaceÌýsome of the import duties.
Imports have been choppy month to month even as spending to build out artificial intelligence has helped boost demand for foreign-made computer chips and other equipment.
Ceramex North America's JT Roberson and Matt Brady unpack what fleets get wrong about aftertreatment total cost of ownership.ÌýTune in above or by going to .ÌýÌý
The February trade data will help economists firm up their estimates for first-quarter gross domestic product. Before the figures, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s GDPNowÌýforecastÌýindicated net exports subtracted about a quarter percentage point from first-quarter GDP — similar to the fourth quarter.
On an inflation-adjusted basis, which filters into the real GDP measurement, the merchandise trade deficit widened slightly to $83.5 billion in February.
The U.S. merchandise-trade deficit with China widened to $13.1 billion. The shortfall with Mexico grew while the gap shrank with Canada to the smallest since the pandemic.
Separate data out April 2 showedÌýapplicationsÌýfor unemployment benefits fell to 202,000 last week, near the lowest in two years.
