The U.S. international trade deficit increased in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit increased from $552.3 billion in 2017 to $621.0 billion in 2018, as imports increased more than exports. As a percentage of U.S. gross domestic product, the goods and services deficit was 3.0 percent in 2018, up from 2.8 percent in 2017. The goods deficit increased from $807.5 billion in 2017 to $891.3 billion in 2018, and the services surplus increased from $255.2 billion in 2017 to $270.2 billion in 2018.
Exports
Exports of goods and services increased $148.9 billion, or 6.3 percent, in 2018 to $2,500.0 billion. Exports of goods increased $118.5 billion and exports of services increased $30.4 billion.
- The largest increases in exports of goods were in industrial supplies and materials ($74.2 billion) and in capital goods ($28.7 billion).
- The largest increases in exports of services were in other business services ($8.5 billion), which includes research and development services; professional and management services; and technical, trade-related, and other services, in financial services ($4.6 billion), and in travel (for all purposes including education) ($4.3 billion).
Imports
Imports of goods and services increased $217.7 billion, or 7.5 percent, in 2018 to $3,121.0 billion. Imports of goods increased $202.2 billion and imports of services increased $15.4 billion.
- The largest increases in imports of goods were in industrial supplies and materials ($68.4 billion), in capital goods ($52.7 billion), and in consumer goods ($46.1 billion).
- The largest increases in imports of services were in travel (for all purposes including education) ($10.1 billion), in other business services ($7.0 billion), and in transport ($6.5 billion). A decrease in insurance services ($13.0 billion) partly offset the increases.
For more detailed information on trade by type of good or service and with major trading partners, see U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, December 2018.