Annual Trade Highlights

2018 Press Highlights

This page shows the Balance, Exports and Imports for the current year and prior year, along with the percent change and dollar change between the two. The last column of the table shows the last time the percent change (or dollar change) was larger. Some interesting facts about this month's International Trade in Goods and Services report can be found at the bottom of the page.

Goods and Services on a Balance of Payments (BOP) Basis, seasonally adjusted - series began with January 1992 statistics.

All Values in billions of dollars

Percent Change from Prior Year

Dollar Change From Prior Year

• The 2018 goods and services deficit ($621.0 billion) was the highest since 2008 ($708.7 billion).
• The 2018 goods deficit ($891.3 billion) was the highest on record. The 2018 services surplus ($270.2 billion) was the highest on record.
• 2018 exports of goods and services ($2.5 trillion) were the highest on record. 2018 exports of goods ($1.7 trillion) were the highest on record. 2018 exports of services ($828.1 billion) were the highest on record.
• 2018 imports of goods and services ($3.1 trillion) were the highest on record. 2018 imports of goods ($2.6 trillion) were the highest on record. 2018 imports of services ($557.9 billion) were the highest on record.

Goods on a Census Basis (seasonally adjusted)

Balance

• The 2018 goods deficit ($878.7 billion) was the highest on record.
• The 2018 petroleum deficit ($53.3 billion) was the lowest since 1998 ($42.8 billion).
• The 2018 non-petroleum deficit ($825.4 billion) was the highest on record.

Exports

• 2018 exports of goods ($1.7 trillion) were the highest on record.
  
• 2018 exports of industrial supplies and materials ($538.9 billion); capital goods ($562.0 billion); consumer goods ($205.9 billion); and other goods ($65.4 billion) were the highest on record.
  
• 2018 exports of petroleum ($172.4 billion) were the highest on record
  
• 2018 non-petroleum exports ($1.5 trillion) were the highest on record.
  

Imports

• 2018 import of goods ($2.5 trillion) were the highest on record.
• 2018 imports of food, feeds, and beverages ($147.4 billion); capital goods ($693.3 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($372.3 billion); consumer goods ($647.9 billion); and other goods ($106.2 billion) were the highest on record
• 2018 non-petroleum imports ($2.3 trillion) were the highest on record.

Real Dollar Basis (Chained 2012 Dollars, seasonally adjusted)

• The 2018 real dollar goods deficit ($1.0 trillion) was the highest on record.
• 2018 real dollar imports of goods ($2.8 trillion) were the highest on record.
• 2018 real dollar exports of goods ($1.8 trillion) were the highest on record.
  

Country and Other Highlights (Census Basis, not seasonally adjusted)

• The 2018 deficit with Mexico ($81.5 billion) was the highest on record.
• The 2018 deficit with China ($419.2 billion) was the highest on record.
• The 2018 deficit with the European Union ($169.3 billion) was the highest on record.
• The 2018 surplus with South and Central America ($41.5 billion) was the highest on record.
• The 2018 surplus with the United Kingdom ($5.4 billion) was the highest on record.


• The U.S. had record exports to 53 countries in 2018 led by Mexico ($265.0 billion), Japan ($75.0 billion), and the United Kingdom ($66.2 billion).
• The U.S. had record imports from 60 countries in 2018 led by China ($539.5 billion), Mexico ($346.5 billion), and Germany ($125.9 billion)..