US goods trade deficit with China widens to record $383bn amid tensions

The US is lagging further behind despite its exports to China climbing to an all-time record of $154bn last year

The data comes at a low point in relations between China and the US, and amid the shooting down of an alleged spy balloon this week. 

Trade in goods between the US and China climbed to a record in 2022, a reminder that consumers and companies in the world’s two biggest economies remain deeply connected while their governments diverge on a range of economic and political issues.

Total merchandise trade between the two countries rose to almost $691bn (€646bn) last year, exceeding the record set in 2018, US Commerce Department data showed. The data is not adjusted for inflation. The annual goods-trade deficit with China widened 8% to $383bn, the biggest on record after the $419.4bn shortfall in 2018.