Discussing international trade would not be complete without considering the U.S. in the discussion. Go with Platform Expand and explore the export and import status of the country in 2024.
About the trading in the USA
The U.S. is the most powerful and developed country in the world, with a significant impact on both exports and imports, particularly during periods of mixed economic conditions and shifting global dynamics. In 2024, the trade deficit of goods and services in the USA had an increased of $133.5 billion compared to 2023. Exports increased $119.8 billion, and imports increased $253.3 billion. Imports and exports experienced growth compared to previous years, but still face a significant deficit between exports and imports. The U.S. is a primary market for most countries.
Figure 1: U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services (Bea Gov, 2025)
The export side
For the export side, the U.S. ranked second in the world’s largest goods exporter in 2024, with a total export value of $2.06 trillion. Its main export products are refined petroleum, crude petroleum, petroleum gas, aircraft parts, and commodities not elsewhere specified (Figure 2). And the top export country of the U.S. is Canada with $348.50 billion, and following are Mexico ($334.04 billion), China ($143.54 billion), etc (Figure 3), the three (3) lead countries accounted for one-third of the total export value. Shipping products to the world means that the U.S. has a strength in advanced manufacturing and technology exports. High-value exports to Canada and the UK, but the U.S. faces an ongoing trade surplus with its top export partners.
Figure 2: Top 10 products exported by The U.S. (usimportdata, 2025)
Figure 3: Top 10 export partners of The U.S. (usimportdata, 2025)
The import side
For the import side, the U.S. imports electrical machinery and equipment, nuclear reactors and machinery, vehicles, mineral fuels and oils, pharmaceutical products, special combined nomenclature commodities, medical or surgical instruments, and other products that cost less than $100 billion in 2024. The total import value of $3.35 trillion makes it one of the world’s top importers. The high value of imports indicates a strong domestic demand for foreign goods, which presents an excellent opportunity for other countries to export products to the U.S. market.
Figure 4: US total imports in the past 10 years (usimportdata, 2025)
Conclusion
The import and export performance of the U.S. in 2024 is quite good, despite a trade surplus between imports and exports, and imports rose at a rapid pace due to demand from local customers/consumers. These trends highlight ongoing structural challenges in manufacturing competitiveness and supply chain dependence. Overall, the 2024 trade results show the need for strategic policies to strengthen productivity, diversify markets, and enhance long-term resilience in U.S. global trade.
Source: US Import Data (2025), Bea Gov (2025), and OEC (2025)