Washington: The US trade deficit rose to $70.3 billion in December, climbing above expectations, the US Commerce Department announced Thursday. The trade deficit surged by 32.6% compared to the previous month, with initial expectations set at $55.5 billion.

According to Anadolu Agency, the foreign trade deficit in November was revised upward to $53 billion. In December, exports fell by 1.7% to $287.3 billion, while imports increased by 3.6% to $357.6 billion.

Trade partners with which the US had the largest goods trade deficits included Taiwan at $19.8 billion, Vietnam at $17.6 billion, Mexico at $14.5 billion, China at $12.4 billion, and the European Union at $11.1 billion. Conversely, the US experienced the biggest surpluses with the Netherlands at $5.6 billion, South and Central America at $4.3 billion, the UK at $3.7 billion, Hong Kong at $2.5 billion, and Brazil at $2.1 billion.

The goods trade deficit for the year 2025 was $1.19 trillion, marking an increase of 5.7% from the previous year. Exports amounted to $2.19 trillion, reflecting a rise of $117.7 billion from 2024, while imports reached $3.43 trillion, up by $143.2 billion from 2024.