March Trade Deficit at $44.4B

The U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, also known as the FT-900, is published monthly by the Bureau of Economic Analysis with data going back to 1992. The monthly reports include revisions that go back several months. This report details U.S. exports and imports of goods and services.

Here is an excerpt from the latest report:

The U.S. monthly international trade deficit increased in March 2020 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit increased from $39.8 billion in February (revised) to $44.4 billion in March, as exports decreased more than imports. The previously published February deficit was $39.9 billion. The goods deficit increased $4.6 billion in March to $65.6 billion. The services surplus decreased $0.1 billion in March to $21.2 billion.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Impact on March 2020 International Trade in Goods and Services

The declines in March exports and imports were, in part, due to the impact of COVID-19, as many businesses were operating at limited capacity or ceased operations completely, and the movement of travelers across borders was restricted. The full economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be quantified in the trade statistics for March because the impacts are generally embedded in source data and cannot be separately identified. The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis have monitored data quality and determined estimates in this release meet publication standards. For more information on the compilation of this month’s report, see www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/notices/COVIDFAQSFT900.pdf for goods or www.bea.gov/help/faq/1412 for services.

Today's headline number of -44.4B was lower than the Investing.com forecast of -44.0B.