US trade deficit widens in February as imports offset record exports
Source: Reuters
April 2, 2026 9:39 AM EDT Updated 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit widened in February as a rebound in imports offset strong growth in exports, which increased to a record high, potentially keeping trade on track to subtract from economic growth in the first quarter.
The trade gap increased 4.9% to $57.3 billion, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau said on Thursday. Data for January was revised to show the deficit narrowing to $54.7 billion instead of $54.5 billion as previously estimated. Economists polled by Reuters forecast the trade deficit rising to $61.0 billion in February.
The BEA and Census Bureau are still catching up on data releases following last year's government shutdown. Trade data continues to be volatile amid shifting policy.
The U.S. Supreme Court in February struck down President Donald Trump's broad tariffs, which he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies. Trump, however, responded by imposing a global tariff for up to 150 days. Trump has defended the tariffs as necessary to address the trade deficit and revive the nation's industrial base, though 100,000 factory jobs have been lost since January 2025.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-trade-deficit-widens-february-imports-offset-record-exports-2026-04-02/
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The United States’ trade deficit in goods and services increased to $57.3 billion in February.
https://bea.gov/data/intl-trade-investment/international-trade-goods-and-services
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8:53 AM · Apr 2, 2026
