US goods trade deficit narrows to $82.4B in April as exports surge

The US goods trade deficit came in at $82.4 billion in April, down from a revised $85.3 billion in March, according to Census Bureau data released on May 29. That’s a roughly $3 billion improvement in a single month, driven almost entirely by exports growing faster than imports.

Exports climbed 4% to $219.7 billion, while imports rose a more modest 1.9% to $302.1 billion.

The numbers in context

To appreciate why this matters, look at the trajectory. March’s goods deficit was originally pegged somewhere in the $87 billion to $88 billion range before being revised down to $85.3 billion. February came in at $83.5 billion.

Year-over-year, the reduction stands at about 24% through early 2026, a meaningful shift for an economy that has historically run massive trade gaps.