A rise in imports pushed the U.S. trade deficit higher in February, with India continuing to feature among the country’s key deficit partners over the past year.
The U.S. trade gap stood at $57.35 billion in February, increasing by $2.67 billion from January, according to official data. While the deficit widened on a monthly basis, it remained about 11 percent below the 12-month average.
Exports during the month totaled $314.8 billion, while imports rose to $372.1 billion, reflecting stronger demand for foreign goods. The increase in imports outpaced export growth, leading to the wider deficit.
In goods trade, the U.S. recorded a deficit of $84.60 billion, while the services sector posted a surplus of $27.26 billion. The goods deficit increased compared to January, while the services surplus saw a slight decline.
India remained one of the notable contributors to the U.S. goods trade deficit. In February alone, the U.S. posted a goods deficit of about $3.5 billion with India. Over the 12-month period through February 2026, the deficit with India totaled $54.91 billion, accounting for around 5.01 percent of the overall U.S. goods trade gap.
Imports from India reached $101.97 billion over the same period, highlighting its role as a major supplier of pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, and other products to the U.S. market. These imports generated $12.34 billion in customs duties, with an average applied tariff rate of 12.12 percent.
The broader trade picture continued to be influenced by larger imbalances with Mexico, Vietnam, and China, which remained the top contributors to the U.S. goods trade deficit.
Exports in February were supported by higher shipments of industrial supplies and materials, including nonmonetary gold and natural gas. Services exports also recorded a modest increase.
On the import side, demand rose sharply for capital goods, computers, semiconductors, crude oil, and pharmaceutical products. Over the past year, leading U.S. exports included civilian aircraft, pharmaceutical products, and nonmonetary gold, while imports were dominated by pharmaceuticals, computers, and passenger vehicles.
Despite the monthly increase, longer-term trends indicate some easing in the trade imbalance. Year-to-date figures show the deficit has narrowed compared to the same period last year, supported by higher exports and lower imports on an annual basis.
In February, the U.S. collected $21.24 billion in import duties, about 13 percent below the 12-month average, with the average applied duty rate at 8.48 percent.
