The trade deficit in the United States narrowed in August, as tariffs did not significantly change the structural tendency of "more imports, fewer exports."

According to TechFlow news on November 19, the U.S. Department of Commerce stated on Wednesday that the U.S. trade deficit narrowed in August. This report, which was delayed due to the government shutdown, provides a retrospective view showing how tariffs affected international trade flows during the summer. In August, U.S. imports fell to $340.4 billion, a decline of 5.1% from July; during the same period, exports increased slightly by 0.1% to $280.8 billion. This reduced the trade deficit for the month to $59.6 billion, a significant narrowing of 24% compared to the $78.2 billion deficit in July. Earlier in 2025, before tariffs took effect, importers rushed to import necessary goods in advance to cope with trade barriers, causing the deficit to soar. Subsequently, the first round of global tariffs in April quickly suppressed trade, resulting in the largest single-month import drop on record. In the following months, the trade deficit fluctuated around levels lower than the previous year but generally remained comparable to 2023 levels, indicating that, at least so far, Trump's tariffs have not significantly altered the structural tendency of the U.S. to “import more, export less.”