America Imported a Record Amount Last Year Despite Seismic Trade Policy Changes

Wall Street Journal ^ | February 19, 2026 | Matt Grossman

[Wuli]

Imports to the U.S. grew to a record high in 2025, leaving the trade deficit little changed despite steep Trump administration tariffs aimed at closing trade gaps.

The nation’s trade deficit—the gap between imports and exports in both goods and services—was $901.5 billion last year, slightly smaller than the $903.5 billion deficit recorded in 2024, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The small change shows America’s role as a heavy net importer remains intact, at least thus far, despite seismic policy shifts during the year.

There were big swings in trade patterns along the way, however, including an early-year surge in imports as companies tried to get ahead of new tariffs. That surge rapidly reversed after some of the tariffs were rolled back and businesses adjusted to the new trade regime.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: tariffs; tradedeficit; trumptariffs

[Wuli]

It has not been unusual that a solid or growing U.S. economy involves solid or increasing imports.

[RandallFlagg]

Didn’t they scream that, “Shelves would be empty,” when President Trump’s tariffs were announced?

[Vaduz]

Check

[JSM_Liberty]

So we gave them pieces of paper with green writing on them and they gave us stuff.

[MrRelevant]

Must just be billionaires buying Chinese stuff….😂

[ScottHammett]

The economy must be bad

[suthener]

It’s my fault. I’ve been ordering entirely too much Chinese junk from Amazon. I’ll try to do better.

[rdcbn1]

This is exactly what you would expect.

The Trump tariffs did not really cut back on imports or even raise prices that much , they just cut back on the profit margins of the importers in most cases

On the other hand, domestic manufactures saw a huge boost in sales and , given how off shored our industry has become, domestic producers have to import a lot of the components they use in their products.

Counter intuitively, increased domestic production can result in increased imports due to American manufacturing requiring imported components (at least until American supply chains can supply domestic sourced components)

Anyone who has had to comply with Berry Amendment US content provisions for military contracts will attest to the fact that it is difficult if not impossible to produce many products with 100% American sourced components.

[DAC21]

So a record amount of tariffs were collected. Low inflation, no shortages. If the beef prices come down I don’t see an issue.

[ProudDeplorable]

They didn’t state how much was taken in as a result of the tariffs.

[jacknhoo]

Not exactly a record amount if it was less than the prior year.

[Tell It Right]

The Trump tariffs did not really cut back on imports...

Perhaps they did cut on imports. From the WSJ article (posted above): There were big swings in trade patterns along the way, however, including an early-year surge in imports as companies tried to get ahead of new tariffs.

In other words, the net imports might be no change, but with cuts on imports since the tariffs were implemented.

From Breitbart: The U.S. trade deficit has fallen by nearly half since President Trump’s Liberation Day tariff announcements in March, with the December gap coming in 48 percent smaller than the March peak.

Also from Breitbart:
The three-month average goods deficit fell to $80.5 billion in the fourth quarter, down 27 percent from $109.6 billion in the same period a year earlier. The combined goods and services deficit dropped even more sharply, falling nearly 40 percent to $50.7 billion from $83.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Average exports climbed $22.2 billion while average imports declined $10.7 billion compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, Commerce Department data showed Thursday.

China Trade Plunges, Friend Deficits Grow

The data showed significant rebalancing by country. The deficit with China plummeted $93.4 billion to $202.1 billion in 2025, the smallest in more than two decades, as U.S. exports to China fell $36.9 billion and imports dropped $130.4 billion.

[brookwood]

So if we imported a record amount, but the trade deficit went down, what happened to exports? They set a record high. Funny how that isn’t the headline.

[Wuli]

The data suggest the tariffs will not reduce trade deficits long term - Americans will still have an appetite for imports greater than our own exports - $ value wise.

[FreedomNotSafety]

lol. Yep we give them rapidly depreciating slips of paper backed by the promise to pay green slips of paper. Said slips are only redeemable for things denominated in those same said slips.

In return we get stuff. Food, clothing, investment in our companies.

[jacknhoo]

I really don’t care about the trade deficit or surplus as long as we have industrial infrastructure and sovereignty.

[FlipWilson]

Boy, they just can’t decide what pretzel they want to look like.

“Tarrifs will kill imports!!” was what they all screamed.

Now it’s that there are too many imports.

Or is it a sign of a healthy economy?

Or should Trump have gotten into office and ten days later everyone have their factory built and making everything in the USA?

[Wuli]

Trump should not have used language that tariffs will reduce the trade deficit. They may boost domestic mfg and domestic substitution of of imports but maybe not imports overall, as a good U.s. economy often boosts imports.

[Wuli]

“I really don’t care about the trade deficit or surplus as long as we have industrial infrastructure and sovereignty.”

My view is I don’t care as much about trade deficits as a I do about healthy GDP and less imports/more domestic production in big mfg industry, technology, raw materials, rare raw materials, essential medicines, nuclear (SMR) energy, and boosting exports of all the above as well.

[Miami Rebel]

Weakens the case for lowering rates.