America’s trade gap just got a lot wider. The US trade deficit hit $77.6 billion in May, up sharply from a revised $54.6 billion in April, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the US Census Bureau on July 7. That’s the largest deficit the country has posted since March 2025.
Exports clocked in at roughly $317.7 billion while imports climbed to $395.3 billion. In plain terms: the US bought almost $78 billion more in stuff from the rest of the world than it sold.
What’s driving the import surge
Imports jumped 3.3% month-over-month, a move driven largely by consumer goods. Pharmaceuticals, electronics, crude oil, and passenger vehicles all saw increased demand flowing into the country.
The advance goods-only deficit, released back on June 26, had already foreshadowed the bad news. That figure came in at $105.8 billion for May, signaling that the full trade balance report would not be pretty.
