U.S. Records Smaller Trade Deficit With India

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States trade deficit narrowed slightly in April as exports rose faster than imports, while the U.S. goods trade gap with India remained significantly smaller than those with several major Asian manufacturing economies, according to data released 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 by $8.3 billion to $327.1 billion, while imports rose by $7.6 billion to $383 billion.

The latest figures showed the United States recorded a goods trade deficit of $2.4 billion with India in April, well below the deficits 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.

On a broader goods-and-services basis, reported 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 at $59.1 billion, Vietnam at $54.2 billion, Mexico at $43.1 billion, China at $30.4 billion, South Korea at $15.7 billion, and Germany at $14 billion.

The improvement in the overall U.S. trade balance was driven by exports, which rose faster than imports during April.

India and the United States are also pursuing a proposed bilateral trade agreement while expanding cooperation in technology, supply chains, energy, advanced manufacturing, defense, and critical technologies. (IANS)