Air Freight News

U.S. International trade in Goods and Services, September 2025

Dec 11, 2025

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $52.8 billion in September, down $6.4 billion from $59.3 billion in August, revised.

Exports, Imports, and Balance (Exhibit 1)

September exports were $289.3 billion, $8.4 billion more than August exports. September imports were $342.1 billion, $1.9 billion more than August imports.

The September decrease in the goods and services deficit reflected a decrease in the goods deficit of $7.1 billion to $79.0 billion and a decrease in the services surplus of $0.6 billion to $26.2 billion.

Year-to-date, the goods and services deficit increased $112.6 billion, or 17.2 percent, from the same period in 2024. Exports increased $125.1 billion or 5.2 percent. Imports increased $237.7 billion or 7.7 percent.

Three-Month Moving Averages (exhibit 2)

The average goods and services deficit decreased $2.1 billion to $63.1 billion for the three months ending in September.

  • Average exports increased $3.2 billion to $283.9 billion in September.
  • Average imports increased $1.1 billion to $347.0 billion in September.

Year-over-year, the average goods and services deficit decreased $14.0 billion from the three months ending in September 2024.

  • Average exports increased by $10.4 billion from September 2024.
  • Average imports decreased by $3.6 billion from September 2024.


Exports (exhibits 3, 6, and 7)

Exports of goods increased $8.8 billion to $187.6 billion in September.

Exports of goods on a Census basis increased by $8.8 billion.

  • Industrial supplies and materials increased $7.2 billion.
    • Nonmonetary gold increased $6.1 billion.
  • Consumer goods increased $4.1 billion.
    • Pharmaceutical preparations increased $3.1 billion.
  • Capital goods decreased $3.3 billion.
    • Computers decreased by $2.3 billion.


Net balance of payments adjustments decreased by less than $0.1 billion.

Treatment of Gold in BEA's International and National Economic Accounts. When incorporating the statistics in this release into BEA’s National Economic Accounts, including Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, BEA replaces exports and imports of non-monetary gold with an adjustment calculated as the difference between domestic production and industrial use of gold. For additional information, see “How are exports and imports of gold recorded in BEA’s International Economic Accounts?” and “How are exports and imports of non-monetary gold treated in BEA’s National Economic Accounts?”.

Exports of services decreased $0.4 billion to $101.7 billion in September.

  • Travel decreased $0.6 billion.
  • Transport decreased $0.2 billion.
  • Financial services increased $0.3 billion.


Imports (exhibits 4, 6, and 8)

Imports of goods increased $1.7 billion to $266.6 billion in September.

Imports of goods on a Census basis increased by $1.7 billion.

  • Consumer goods increased $10.2 billion.
    • Pharmaceutical preparations increased by $12.9 billion.
  • Industrial supplies and materials increased by less than $0.1 billion.
    • Nonmonetary gold increased $1.9 billion.
    • Crude oil decreased by $1.3 billion.
  • Capital goods decreased $5.6 billion.
    • Computers decreased by $4.7 billion.
    • Electric apparatus decreased by $1.5 billion.
    • Computer accessories increased by $1.7 billion.


Net balance of payments adjustments decreased by less than $0.1 billion.

Imports of services increased $0.3 billion to $75.5 billion in September.

  • Transport increased $0.2 billion.
  • Financial services increased $0.1 billion.
  • Other business services increased $0.1 billion.
  • Travel decreased $0.2 billion.


Real Goods in 2017 Dollars – Census Basis (exhibit 11)

The real goods deficit decreased $4.7 billion, or 5.6 percent, to $79.0 billion in September, compared to an 8.3 percent decrease in the nominal deficit.

  • Real exports of goods increased $6.2 billion, or 4.2 percent, to $151.9 billion, compared to a 4.9 percent increase in nominal exports.
  • Real imports of goods increased $1.5 billion, or 0.7 percent, to $231.0 billion, compared to a 0.7 percent increase in nominal imports.


Revisions

Revisions to August exports

  • Exports of goods were revised down by $0.2 billion.
  • Exports of services were revised up $0.3 billion.


Revisions to August imports

  • Imports of goods were revised up by $0.3 billion.
  • Imports of services were revised down by $0.5 billion.


In addition to revisions for August 2025, exports of goods for July 2025 were revised to incorporate a $1.0 billion correction to exports of other goods to Canada.

Goods by Selected Countries and Areas: Monthly – Census Basis (Exhibit 19)

The September figures show surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Switzerland ($6.6), Netherlands ($5.9), South and Central America ($5.0), Hong Kong ($2.1), Belgium ($1.4), Brazil ($1.3), United Kingdom ($1.1), Australia ($0.5), Saudi Arabia ($0.4), and Singapore ($0.1). Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with Ireland ($18.2), Mexico ($17.8), European Union ($17.8), Vietnam ($14.4), China ($11.4), Taiwan ($9.4), Canada ($4.9), Germany ($4.6), Japan ($3.6), South Korea ($3.4), India ($3.1), Malaysia ($1.8), Italy ($0.4), France ($0.3), and Israel ($0.1).

  • The balance with Switzerland shifted from a deficit of $0.1 billion in August to a surplus of $6.6 billion in September. Exports increased $7.1 billion to $10.8 billion, and imports increased $0.3 billion to $4.1 billion.
  • The deficit with China decreased $4.0 billion to $11.4 billion in September. Exports increased $0.2 billion to $8.8 billion, and imports decreased $3.9 billion to $20.1 billion.
  • The deficit with Ireland increased $15.3 billion to $18.2 billion in September. Exports decreased $0.5 billion to $1.7 billion, and imports increased $14.8 billion to $19.9 billion.


All statistics referenced are seasonally adjusted; statistics are on a balance of payments basis unless otherwise specified. Additional statistics, including not seasonally adjusted statistics and details for goods on a Census basis, are available in exhibits 1-20b of this release. For information on data sources, definitions, and revision procedures, see the explanatory notes in this release. The full release can be found at www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/current_press_release/index.html or www.bea.gov/data/intl-trade-investment/international-trade-goods-and-services. The full schedule is available in the Census Bureau’s Economic Briefing Room at www.census.gov/economic-indicators/ or on BEA’s website at www.bea.gov/news/schedule.

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