September 2025 | Released December 11, 2025


-$52.8B
Total trade balance
Sep 2025
-$79.0B
Goods trade balance
Sep 2025
$26.2B
Services trade balance
Sep 2025


Contents

Balance of payments

Census basis

Exports

Imports

Import duties

Prices and inflation


Balance of payments


In September 2025:


  • In September, the United States ran a total trade deficit of $52.83 billion.
    • The trade deficit is down $6.44 billion from August, which means exports grew faster than imports.
    • The trade deficit is 38 percent below the 12-month average.
    • In trade of goods, the U.S. ran a trade deficit of $78.98 billion, down $7.07 billion from August and 29 percent below the 12-month average.
    • In trade of services, the U.S. ran a trade surplus of $26.16 billion, down $638.00 million from August and 1 percent below the 12-month average.


  • Total exports was $289.30 billion, up $8.38 billion from August and 3 percent above the 12-month average.
    • Total exports of goods was $187.63 billion, up $8.77 billion from August.
    • Total exports of services was $101.68 billion, down $386.00 million from August.


  • Total imports was $342.13 billion, up $1.95 billion from August and 6 percent below the 12-month average.
    • Total imports of goods was $266.61 billion, up $1.70 billion from August.
    • Total imports of services was $75.52 billion, up $252.00 million from August.


From September 2024 to September 2025:


  • Over the 12 months through September 2025, the U.S. ran a total trade deficit of $1.02 trillion.
    • In trade of goods, the U.S. ran a trade deficit of $1.33 trillion.
    • In trade of services, the U.S. ran a trade surplus of $316.36 billion.


  • Total exports was $3.36 trillion.
    • Total exports of goods was $2.15 trillion.
    • Total exports of services was $1.20 trillion.
  • Total imports was $4.37 trillion.
    • Total imports of goods was $3.49 trillion.
    • Total imports of services was $887.18 billion.




Table 1. Trade balance

Sep 2025 Sep 2024 Y/Y difference 12-month average Past 12 months
Goods
Exports $187.63B $175.48B 6.92% $179.51B $2.15T
– Imports $266.61B $283.21B -5.86% $290.54B $3.49T
Goods trade balance -$78.98B -$107.72B -26.68% -$111.04B -$1.33T
Services
Exports $101.68B $98.20B 3.54% $100.29B $1.20T
– Imports $75.52B $71.98B 4.92% $73.93B $887.18B
Services trade balance $26.16B $26.22B -0.26% $26.36B $316.36B
Total
Exports $289.30B $273.69B 5.71% $279.80B $3.36T
– Imports $342.13B $355.18B -3.67% $364.48B $4.37T
Total trade balance -$52.83B -$81.50B -35.18% -$84.67B -$1.02T


Census basis


The Bureau of Economic Analysis adjusted the September 2025 Census basis figures for goods exports by about 0.00 percent, and for goods imports by about 0.01 percent. See the Notes section for more information about these adjustments. This section reports the trade figures for goods as collected by the U.S. Census Bureau without adjustment unless specified otherwise.








Table 2. Largest deficits by country

Trading partner Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Sep 2025 Sep 2024 Y/Y difference
China -$238.98B 18.19% -$15.03B -$31.83B -52.77%
Mexico -$192.23B 14.63% -$17.38B -$15.86B 9.62%
Vietnam -$162.42B 12.36% -$16.51B -$12.98B 27.23%
Ireland -$130.46B 9.93% -$18.23B -$9.31B 95.75%
Taiwan -$113.88B 8.67% -$10.48B -$7.41B 41.47%
Germany -$74.17B 5.64% -$4.48B -$6.52B -31.29%
Switzerland -$70.75B 5.38% $5.10B -$2.48B -305.39%
Japan -$67.18B 5.11% -$3.45B -$4.76B -27.49%
Thailand -$61.40B 4.67% -$7.00B -$4.61B 51.74%
South Korea -$60.02B 4.57% -$3.69B -$5.73B -35.66%


Table 3. Largest surpluses by country

Trading partner Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Sep 2025 Sep 2024 Y/Y difference
Netherlands $59.02B -4.49% $5.92B $3.17B 86.82%
Hong Kong $25.62B -1.95% $2.91B $2.74B 6.37%
United Kingdom $21.69B -1.65% $1.29B $1.68B -23.64%
United Arab Emirates $21.41B -1.63% $1.88B $1.50B 25.44%
Brazil $9.28B -0.71% $1.40B $1.15B 22.28%
Panama $8.81B -0.67% $797.87M $649.04M 22.93%
Belgium $7.22B -0.55% $1.16B $231.14M 400.64%
Egypt $6.27B -0.48% $657.19M $277.56M 136.77%
Spain $5.85B -0.44% $1.15B $225.60M 408.80%
Dominican Republic $5.43B -0.41% $457.77M $387.24M 18.21%


Exports




Table 4. Top exports by good

Exported good Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Sep 2025 Sep 2024 Y/Y difference
Civilian aircraft, engines, equipment, and parts $144.39B 6.78% $14.25B $10.36B 37.63%
Pharmaceutical preparations $115.40B 5.42% $12.70B $8.81B 44.13%
Crude oil $102.38B 4.81% $8.80B $8.56B 2.72%
Petroleum products, other $74.56B 3.50% $6.18B $5.82B 6.30%
Industrial machines, other $70.55B 3.31% $5.53B $6.06B -8.74%
Semiconductors $67.35B 3.16% $5.32B $5.66B -5.89%
Other parts and accessories of vehicles $57.41B 2.69% $4.65B $4.86B -4.43%
Electric apparatus $57.31B 2.69% $4.73B $5.01B -5.77%
Nonmonetary gold $56.70B 2.66% $10.25B $3.01B 240.86%
Passenger cars, new and used $53.88B 2.53% $4.64B $5.38B -13.72%


  • Over the 12 months through September 2025, the U.S. exported the most to Canada ($335.59 billion), Mexico ($334.19 billion), and China ($120.23 billion).
  • Together, these countries accounted for 37.08 percent of the value of all U.S. exports over those 12 months.



Table 5. Top exports by destination country

Export destination Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Sep 2025 Sep 2024 Y/Y difference
Canada $335.59B 15.75% $26.93B $29.21B -7.81%
Mexico $334.19B 15.68% $27.20B $28.32B -3.96%
China $120.23B 5.64% $8.38B $11.19B -25.09%
Netherlands $94.39B 4.43% $7.73B $6.68B 15.66%
United Kingdom $88.95B 4.17% $6.40B $7.13B -10.20%
Japan $81.31B 3.82% $7.12B $6.88B 3.53%
Germany $80.44B 3.78% $7.26B $6.56B 10.77%
South Korea $66.85B 3.14% $6.07B $5.38B 12.66%
Brazil $52.40B 2.46% $4.30B $4.47B -3.86%
Taiwan $50.40B 2.37% $4.51B $3.15B 43.28%


  • Over the 12 months through September 2025, the port districts with the highest exports were Houston-Galveston, TX ($245.24 billion), New York City, NY ($207.43 billion), and Laredo, TX ($169.87 billion).




Table 6. Top exports by U.S. port district

Customs district Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Air Vessel Road, rail, and other
Houston-Galveston, TX $245.24B 11.51% $11.99B $233.05B $187.28M
New York City, NY $207.43B 9.74% $162.49B $43.21B $1.74B
Laredo, TX $169.87B 7.97% $577.99M $589.47M $168.71B
New Orleans, LA $146.21B 6.86% $62.34B $81.46B $2.41B
Detroit, MI $136.45B 6.40% $3.66B $1.06B $131.73B
Los Angeles, CA $133.10B 6.25% $72.41B $58.97B $1.72B
Low Value $96.92B 4.55% $0.00 $0.00 $96.92B
Chicago, IL $92.15B 4.33% $90.69B $573.92M $895.85M
Miami, FL $82.41B 3.87% $52.05B $28.98B $1.37B
Savannah, GA $70.44B 3.31% $27.75B $39.71B $2.98B


Imports




Table 7. Top imports by good

Imported good Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Sep 2025 Sep 2024 Y/Y difference
Pharmaceutical preparations $303.97B 8.82% $29.13B $22.04B 32.19%
Passenger cars, new and used $191.54B 5.56% $12.74B $16.83B -24.31%
Computers $175.34B 5.09% $18.23B $12.24B 48.94%
Crude oil $147.13B 4.27% $11.27B $13.67B -17.60%
Other parts and accessories of vehicles $140.53B 4.08% $11.90B $12.14B -1.95%
Computer accessories $129.32B 3.75% $11.36B $8.97B 26.64%
Finished metal shapes $119.28B 3.46% $2.63B $3.71B -29.03%
Cell phones and other household goods, n.e.c. $112.33B 3.26% $9.77B $11.95B -18.24%
Electric apparatus $109.23B 3.17% $7.96B $9.44B -15.68%
Telecommunications equipment $103.58B 3.01% $9.85B $8.02B 22.83%


  • Over the 12 months through September 2025, the U.S. imported the most from Mexico ($526.42 billion), Canada ($395.24 billion), and China ($359.21 billion).
  • Together, these countries accounted for 37.18 percent of the value of all U.S. imports over those 12 months.



Table 8. Top imports by country of origin

Import origin Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Sep 2025 Sep 2024 Y/Y difference
Mexico $526.42B 15.28% $44.58B $44.17B 0.92%
Canada $395.24B 11.47% $31.91B $34.55B -7.66%
China $359.21B 10.43% $23.41B $43.02B -45.57%
Vietnam $177.01B 5.14% $17.64B $14.02B 25.85%
Taiwan $164.28B 4.77% $14.99B $10.56B 42.01%
Germany $154.62B 4.49% $11.74B $13.08B -10.20%
Japan $148.49B 4.31% $10.57B $11.64B -9.16%
Ireland $148.34B 4.31% $19.94B $10.73B 85.82%
South Korea $126.87B 3.68% $9.75B $11.12B -12.26%
Switzerland $119.60B 3.47% $4.14B $4.54B -8.75%


  • Over the 12 months through September 2025, the port districts with the highest imports were New York City, NY ($404.99 billion), Los Angeles, CA ($390.68 billion), and Chicago, IL ($374.32 billion).




Table 9. Top imports by U.S. port district

Customs district Past 12 months Share of past 12 months Air Vessel Road, rail, and other
New York City, NY $404.99B 11.76% $226.72B $170.67B $7.59B
Los Angeles, CA $390.68B 11.34% $98.45B $291.86B $360.14M
Chicago, IL $374.32B 10.87% $266.48B $54.52B $53.32B
Laredo, TX $307.15B 8.92% $5.38B $3.25B $298.52B
Savannah, GA $184.87B 5.37% $71.31B $113.39B $165.10M
Detroit, MI $154.44B 4.48% $2.30B $7.96B $144.18B
Cleveland, OH $136.99B 3.98% $93.35B $38.14B $5.50B
San Francisco, CA $132.30B 3.84% $76.44B $55.67B $189.69M
New Orleans, LA $127.15B 3.69% $67.07B $56.49B $3.59B
El Paso, TX $121.16B 3.52% $10.30B $2.79B $108.08B


Import duties







Table 10. Top calculated duties by good

Imported good Calculated duty Average applied duty rate
Passenger cars, new and used $19.64B 9.97%
Other parts and accessories of vehicles $13.61B 10.04%
Apparel, textiles, nonwool or cotton $11.72B 22.04%
Electric apparatus $10.35B 9.91%
Cell phones and other household goods, n.e.c. $8.26B 6.92%
Industrial machines, other $7.81B 9.13%
Apparel, household goods - cotton $7.58B 17.38%
Toys, games, and sporting goods $5.11B 11.78%
Furniture, household goods, etc. $4.28B 10.70%
Household appliances $4.28B 11.20%



Table 11. Top average applied duty rates by good

Imported good Calculated duty Average applied duty rate
Iron and steel, advanced $3.49B 25.87%
Apparel, textiles, nonwool or cotton $11.72B 22.04%
Glassware, chinaware $567.65M 20.61%
Camping apparel and gear $2.91B 19.82%
Iron and steel products, n.e.c. $2.18B 19.81%
Apparel, household goods - wool $561.75M 19.20%
Footwear $3.50B 18.83%
Cookware, cutlery, tools $2.16B 17.61%
Apparel, household goods - cotton $7.58B 17.38%
Bauxite and aluminum $2.51B 15.36%


  • Over the 12 months through September 2025, the top countries of origin by calculated duty revenue were China ($82.05 billion), Mexico ($14.20 billion), and Vietnam ($11.81 billion).

  • The average applied duty rates on the goods from those countries were 23.39 percent, 2.71 percent, and 6.55 percent, respectively.




Table 12. Top calculated duties by country of origin

Country of origin Calculated duty Average applied duty rate
China $82.05B 23.39%
Mexico $14.20B 2.71%
Vietnam $11.81B 6.55%
Japan $11.39B 7.67%
Germany $9.04B 5.82%
South Korea $7.71B 6.10%
Canada $6.13B 1.55%
India $5.88B 5.68%
Italy $4.25B 5.54%
Taiwan $3.77B 2.32%



Table 13. Top average applied duty rates by country of origin

Country of origin Calculated duty Average applied duty rate
China $82.05B 23.39%
Bangladesh $1.88B 19.30%
Azerbaijan $22.44M 16.81%
Sri Lanka $473.00M 14.40%
Uruguay $214.61M 13.87%
Pakistan $761.83M 13.87%
Burma (Myanmar) $108.09M 13.71%
Paraguay $59.97M 12.81%
Cambodia $1.86B 12.67%
Belize $7.33M 12.25%


Prices and inflation


Exchange rates


Terms of trade (ToT) is the ratio of a country’s export prices to its import prices. Stronger ToT means a country can buy more imports for a given amount of exports. A stronger U.S. dollar can improve U.S. ToT with trading partners by lowering the dollar price of imports from the foreign country.


From September 2024 to September 2025:

The U.S. dollar:

  • Strengthened against the Chinese yuan by 1.4 percent.

  • Weakened against the Euro by 5 percent.

  • Weakened against the British pound by 0.3 percent.

  • Strengthened against the Japanese yen by 3.3 percent.

  • Weakened against the Mexican peso by 6.8 percent.


Table 14. USD to foreign currency exchange rates

Currency Sep 30, 2025 Aug 28, 2025 M/M difference Sep 30, 2024 Y/Y difference
Chinese yuan ¥7.12 ¥7.13 -0.16% ¥7.02 1.44%
Euro €0.85 €0.86 -0.54% €0.90 -5.03%
British pound £0.74 £0.74 0.54% £0.75 -0.33%
Japanese yen ¥147.97 ¥146.98 0.67% ¥143.25 3.29%
Mexican peso MX$18.34 MX$18.66 -1.71% MX$19.69 -6.84%

Note: Currencies are sorted in alphabetical order by their ISO 4217 codes. The date shown in the third column is the date 22 business days before the date shown in the second column.



Exports





Table 15. Exported goods inflation

Sep 2025 Aug 2025 M/M difference Sep 2024 Y/Y difference
Month-over-month inflation
All exports 0.00% 0.07% -0.07pp -0.61% 0.61pp
Agricultural exports 0.26% -0.22% 0.48pp 0.82% -0.56pp
Nonagricultural exports 0.00% 0.14% -0.14pp -0.70% 0.70pp
Foods, feeds, and beverages 0.25% -0.04% 0.29pp 0.98% -0.73pp
Industrial supplies and materials 0.00% -0.15% 0.15pp -1.92% 1.92pp
Capital goods 0.00% 0.16% -0.16pp 0.08% -0.08pp
Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines 0.23% 0.15% 0.08pp 0.00% 0.23pp
Consumer goods 0.08% 0.50% -0.42pp 0.25% -0.17pp
Year-over-year inflation
All exports 3.80% 3.17% 0.63pp -1.80% 5.60pp
Agricultural exports 4.41% 4.99% -0.58pp -4.88% 9.29pp
Nonagricultural exports 3.75% 3.02% 0.73pp -1.46% 5.21pp
Foods, feeds, and beverages 5.17% 5.93% -0.76pp -3.41% 8.58pp
Industrial supplies and materials 5.82% 3.79% 2.03pp -5.50% 11.32pp
Capital goods 2.11% 2.19% -0.08pp 1.65% 0.46pp
Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines 2.70% 2.47% 0.23pp 3.02% -0.32pp
Consumer goods 2.12% 2.29% -0.17pp -0.84% 2.96pp


Imports


This inflation can reflect both changes in trade policy and the composition of goods imported in each category. See the Notes section for important information on interpreting this data.





Table 16. Imported goods inflation

Sep 2025 Aug 2025 M/M difference Sep 2024 Y/Y difference
Month-over-month inflation
All imports 0.09% 0.81% -0.72pp -0.46% 0.55pp
Fuels and lubricants -0.06% 0.32% -0.38pp -7.22% 7.16pp
All imports, excluding fuels 0.32% 0.81% -0.49pp 0.12% 0.20pp
Foods, feeds, and beverages 1.09% -1.83% 2.92pp 0.26% 0.83pp
Industrial supplies and materials 0.42% 1.42% -1.00pp -2.00% 2.42pp
Capital goods 0.72% 0.94% -0.22pp 0.12% 0.60pp
Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines -0.60% -0.20% -0.40pp -0.18% -0.42pp
Consumer goods -1.19% 0.99% -2.18pp 0.02% -1.21pp
Year-over-year inflation
All imports 8.38% 7.78% 0.60pp -0.04% 8.42pp
Fuels and lubricants 8.04% 0.30% 7.74pp -17.90% 25.94pp
All imports, excluding fuels 8.91% 8.69% 0.22pp 2.00% 6.91pp
Foods, feeds, and beverages 7.20% 6.32% 0.88pp 6.13% 1.07pp
Industrial supplies and materials 7.92% 5.32% 2.60pp -4.36% 12.28pp
Capital goods 8.35% 7.69% 0.66pp 0.38% 7.97pp
Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines 14.25% 14.74% -0.49pp 2.52% 11.73pp
Consumer goods 7.79% 9.12% -1.33pp 0.92% 6.87pp


Upcoming releases


Date Time Release Data source
Dec 16 08:30 AM Monthly Employment Update, November 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics
Dec 18 08:30 AM Monthly Inflation Update, November 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics
Dec 23 08:30 AM Monthly GDP Update, Q3 2025 Initial Estimate Bureau of Economic Analysis


Notes


Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of the Treasury; Bureau of Labor Statistics; JEC Republicans calculations


Terminology


Duty: Customs duties are calculated by Customs and Border Protection and may overstate or understate the final total that is ultimately collected by the U.S. Treasury. These duties include tariffs.

Average applied duty rate: The sum of calculated duties as a share of total imports for consumption.

Imports for consumption: The total value of goods cleared through U.S. Customs either by entering consumption channels immediately or by entering via a bonded warehouse or Foreign Trade Zone under CBP custody.

Bonded warehouses: Private warehouses that hold goods after arrival to the U.S. under a bond that indemnifies the government until import duties are paid for those goods.

Foreign Trade Zones: Areas in or around ports where goods brought to the U.S. can be processed and modified before entering customs territory. If these goods leave the U.S. instead of entering U.S. customs territory, they are considered re-exports.

This type of imports include only those goods that enter U.S. customs territory, not all goods that physically arrive in U.S. ports. Duties are only paid on those goods that enter customs territory, so this type of imports is used in the “Import duties” section of this update.

Port district: Groups of air, land, and sea ports, typically in close geographical proximity to one another, categorized by CBP. The full list of districts and their ports are published in Schedule D, a statistical annex in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, and can be found here.

Low-value shipments: Shipments whose value is so low that trade is estimated instead of being based on trade filings. These are shipments with a value of less than $2,500 for exports.

N.E.C.: “Not elsewhere classified”

Y/Y difference: The change from the same month one year prior.


Adjustments


Census basis: All data on the international trade of goods comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, which gathers data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Canadian Customs, and Statistics Canada. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) makes some adjustments to this data to create the headline trade figures shown in the section above, such as including nonmonetary gold trade, goods procured in foreign ports by U.S. carriers, goods procured in U.S. ports by foreign carriers, imports by U.S. military agencies, and more. The full list of adjustments can be found here.


  • In September, adjustments to exports amounted to $849.00 million, or 0.00 percent.

  • In September, adjustments to imports amounted to $2.15 billion, or 0.01 percent.

  • Therefore, in total, the trade balance figure for September adjusted by BEA is $1.30 billion higher than the respective Census basis figure.


  • Over the 12 months through September 2025, adjustments to exports amounted to $16.49 billion, or 0.01 percent.

  • Over the 12 months through September 2025, adjustments to imports amounted to $25.28 billion, or 0.01 percent.

  • Therefore, in total, the trade balance figure for the past 12 months adjusted by BEA is $8.79 billion higher than the respective Census basis figure.


Balance of payments: The data adjusted by the BEA to align with its concepts and definitions used in the international and national economic accounts.

Corrections to exports to Canada: The data for exports to Canada in the current year are estimates of late arrivals and corrections. These values are adjusted to the actual value annually.

Duty effect: JEC Republicans adjust the price index for imported goods from BLS, which excludes import duties, with the average applied duty rates derived from Census data to estimate post-duty price indexes. These rates are affected by changes in policy that impact the proportion of each good’s value collected by the government as a duty. Additionally, because these rates are averaged across broad categories of goods, changes can reflect the composition of goods imported within the category, for example a relative shift from goods with high duty rates toward those with lower duty rates. Therefore, the post-duty price index inflation reported may reflect not only policy changes but also shifts in the composition of imports.

Totals: Totals of values “from September 2024 to September 2025” are the sum over 12 months, inclusive of the latter month but not the former. Year-over-year values represent the change from September 2024 to September 2025.