Washington, June 9, 2026
The United States trade deficit narrowed slightly in April as exports rose faster than imports, while the country’s trade gap with India remained significantly smaller than those with several major Asian manufacturing economies, according to data released on Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The overall U.S. goods and services deficit stood at $55.9 billion in April, down from a revised $56.6 billion in March. Exports increased to $327.1 billion, up $8.3 billion from the previous month, while imports rose $7.6 billion to $383 billion, according to official data released here on Tuesday.
For India, the latest figures showed the United States recorded a goods trade deficit of $2.4 billion in April, placing it well below the deficits Washington reported with Taiwan and Vietnam, both at $19.3 billion, Mexico at $14.8 billion, China at $12 billion, Germany at $5.6 billion and South Korea at $4.7 billion. India’s trade gap was comparable to that of France and Italy and smaller than that of several major U.S. trading partners.
The data also showed that on a broader goods-and-services basis, available quarterly with a one-month lag, the U.S. trade deficit with India stood at $11.1 billion in the first quarter of 2026. That ranked behind Taiwan ($59.1 billion), Vietnam ($54.2 billion), Mexico ($43.1 billion), China ($30.4 billion), South Korea ($15.7 billion) and Germany ($14 billion).
The figures indicate that while India remains an important source of imports for the United States, it is not among the countries contributing to Washington’s largest bilateral trade imbalances. The U.S. monthly trade deficit with India was only about one-fifth that with China and substantially lower than those with Taiwan and Vietnam.
The modest improvement in the overall U.S. trade balance came as exports of goods rose $8.7 billion to $221.3 billion in April. Growth was led by capital goods, which increased by $4 billion, including a $2.5 billion rise in computer exports. Industrial supplies and materials increased by $2.5 billion, helped by a $6.4 billion jump in crude oil exports. Consumer goods exports also rose by $1.7 billion.
Exports of services slipped by $0.4 billion to $105.8 billion. Travel services declined by $0.3 billion, while transport services and maintenance and repair services each fell by $0.2 billion.
On the import side, goods imports increased $6.4 billion to $304.9 billion. Capital goods accounted for much of the increase, rising by $7 billion. Imports of computers increased by $2.2 billion, semiconductors by $1.7 billion and telecommunications equipment by $1.6 billion. Services imports rose by $1.3 billion to $78 billion.
The report said the decrease in the overall deficit reflected a $2.4 billion reduction in the goods deficit to $83.7 billion, partly offset by a $1.7 billion decline in the U.S. services surplus to $27.8 billion. Year-to-date, the U.S. goods and services deficit has fallen by $213.5 billion, or 49.1 per cent, compared with the same period in 2025.
India and the United States have been seeking to deepen economic engagement through a proposed bilateral trade agreement and broader cooperation in technology, supply chains, energy and advanced manufacturing. Trade has become a central pillar of the strategic partnership, alongside defence and critical technologies.(Agency)
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