U.S. trade deficit widens in December, 2025 total at $901.5 billion

Investing.com -- The U.S. trade deficit expanded to $70.3 billion in December, a $17.3 billion increase from November and significantly higher than the $55.5 billion economists had forecast, according to Commerce Department data released Thursday.

For the full year 2025, the trade deficit totaled $901.5 billion, representing a marginal decrease of just 0.2% or $2.1 billion from 2024. The annual figure remained below the record deficit of $923.7 billion set in 2022.

The widening gap comes despite President Donald Trump's implementation of several tariff measures throughout the year aimed at reducing trade imbalances. In April, Trump imposed a 10% duty on all imports along with targeted reciprocal tariffs against specific countries with trade surpluses against the U.S. The administration, however, has since softened many of these positions, with negotiations with major trading partners continuing.

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. Imports also grew to $4.33 trillion, rising by $197.8 billion compared to 2024.

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