The U.S. trade deficit widened to $70.3 billion in December 2025, up $17.3 billion from November and well above economists' $55.5 billion forecast, according to Commerce Department data. For the full year, the trade gap reached $901.5 billion, a marginal 0.2% decrease from 2024 but still below the 2022 record of $923.7 billion. The widening gap persisted despite President Trump's tariff measures.

In April 2025, Trump imposed a 10% duty on all imports and targeted reciprocal tariffs against countries with trade surpluses against the U.S. However, the administration has since softened many positions while continuing negotiations with major trading partners. The European Union accounted for the largest goods deficit at $218.8 billion, followed by China at $202.1 billion and Mexico at $196.9 billion.

U.S. exports reached $3.43 trillion for 2025, increasing by $199.8 billion from the previous year, while imports grew to $4.33 trillion, rising by $197.8 billion. The data suggests that despite aggressive trade policies, America's trade imbalance remains stubbornly high, highlighting the challenges of using tariffs as a tool to reshape global trade flows.