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Imports from other countries fell around 4 percent from the previous month as President Trump’s steep tariffs discouraged businesses from ordering goods.
U.S. Monthly Goods Imports
Aug. 5, 2025Updated 12:25 p.m. ET
U.S. imports of goods fell in June, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday, as President Trump’s tariffs continued to weigh on trade.
The nearly 4 percent decline from May came as businesses adjusted to shifting tariff deadlines and uncertainty in negotiations between the Trump administration and officials from other countries. Companies had rushed to stockpile goods before higher tariffs were put in place. That led to a temporary surge earlier in the year in goods shipments that pushed the trade deficit to a record $138.3 billion in March.
Trade Deficit in Goods and Services
Exports dipped slightly, down about 0.5 percent, as U.S. companies sold fewer industrial goods. Still, the overall trade deficit narrowed to $60.2 billion in June.
Mr. Trump has imposed tariffs on a variety of industries and trading partners since returning to the presidency in January, raising the U.S. tariff rate to levels not seen in a century. He has suspended, altered and delayed many of those tariffs many times to allow for negotiations, which have resulted in broad-brush agreements with America’s major trading partners like Japan and the European Union. Higher tariffs for dozens of countries are set to snap back into effect on Thursday unless more deals are reached.
In recent quarters, big swings in trade and inventories have skewed U.S. economic growth. Overall, the data suggest a slow, though positive, pace of growth.
Many forecasters expect a deterioration in the months ahead, as tariffs disrupt supply chains and the Trump administration’s policies on immigration and government job cuts start to take a toll on the economy. Weaker-than-expected job growth in May, June and July in data released on Friday has provided more evidence for this view.
Later that day, Mr. Trump, angered by the jobs numbers, fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Oxford Economics, a research firm that provides economic forecasts, said on Tuesday that it expected trade volumes to decline throughout the year as high inventory levels, weaker business and consumer spending, and elevated prices all weigh on demand for goods.
But, despite the anticipated drop, the downturn “may not be as severe” as initially expected, the firm added.
Still, as most U.S. firms rely heavily on international supply chains, the proposed tariffs could make American businesses less competitive, less profitable and provide fewer opportunities of growth, said Mark Weinstock, an economics professor at Pace University.
“Tariffs will not make America great again,” he said.
Kailyn Rhone is a Times business reporter and the 2025 David Carr fellow.
