The overall U.S. trade deficit fell year-on-year last year. The huge annual China goods deficit cratered. The still-huge manufacturing deficit has stabilized regardless of the safety woes of Boeing, and the trade gaps have narrowed even as the economy has continued to grow acceptably.
The most important result: economic growth continued in 2019 even as the portion of the trade deficit most influenced by trade policy increased at a particularly slow rate. This means that trade policy can influence the size and rate of change in the trade deficit, and Trump’s policies are working.
To see how these numbers compare to Obama’s numbers, click the here.