trade deficit
noun
finance
: a situation in which a country buys more from other countries than it sells to other countries : the amount of money by which a country's imports are greater than its exports
Examples of trade deficit in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That took the total trade deficit across both goods and services to £11.5 billion from £6.6 billion.
—
Jenni Reid, CNBC, 12 June 2025
New data from the Commerce Department found the U.S. trade deficit plunged in April, with imports down from $138 billion in March to $61 billion in April.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 5 June 2025
Trump’s trade policy, which has hinged on the broad application of double-to-triple-digit duties, was conceived as a means of dealing with the trade deficit and rebalancing trade with partners across the world.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 5 June 2025
Trump wants to lessen America’s reliance on Chinese imports, which fueled a $295 billion trade deficit last year.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade deficit
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jenni Reid, CNBC, 12 June 2025
New data from the Commerce Department found the U.S. trade deficit plunged in April, with imports down from $138 billion in March to $61 billion in April.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 5 June 2025
Trump’s trade policy, which has hinged on the broad application of double-to-triple-digit duties, was conceived as a means of dealing with the trade deficit and rebalancing trade with partners across the world.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 5 June 2025
Trump wants to lessen America’s reliance on Chinese imports, which fueled a $295 billion trade deficit last year.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade deficit
Cite this Entry
“Trade deficit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20deficit. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share