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. Earlier in the year, companies had rushed to stockpile goods before higher tariffs were put in place. That led to a temporary surge in goods shipments that pushed the trade deficit to a record $138.3 billion in March.
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 Aug. 7 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 last week has provided more evidence for this view.
Angered by the jobs numbers, Mr. Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.
Kailyn Rhone is a Times business reporter and the 2025 David Carr fellow.
The post U.S. Imports Slid in June on Higher Tariffs appeared first on New York Times.
