Figure B

Trade deficit in manufactured goods spiked quickly in early 1980s and became chronic in late 1990s: Manufacturing trade deficit as share of U.S. GDP

Date Manufacturing employment levels (thousands)
1967Q1 0.8%
1967Q2 0.9%
1967Q3 0.8%
1967Q4 0.6%
1968Q1 0.4%
1968Q2 0.5%
1968Q3 0.6%
1968Q4 0.5%
1969Q1 0.5%
1969Q2 0.4%
1969Q3 0.5%
1969Q4 0.7%
1970Q1 0.7%
1970Q2 0.8%
1970Q3 0.6%
1970Q4 0.6%
1971Q1 0.5%
1971Q2 0.3%
1971Q3 0.4%
1971Q4 0.1%
1972Q1 0.0%
1972Q2 0.0%
1972Q3 0.0%
1972Q4 0.0%
1973Q1 0.1%
1973Q2 0.3%
1973Q3 0.5%
1973Q4 0.9%
1974Q1 1.1%
1974Q2 1.2%
1974Q3 1.0%
1974Q4 1.3%
1975Q1 1.7%
1975Q2 2.0%
1975Q3 1.8%
1975Q4 1.8%
1976Q1 1.4%
1976Q2 1.2%
1976Q3 1.2%
1976Q4 1.2%
1977Q1 1.0%
1977Q2 0.8%
1977Q3 0.8%
1977Q4 0.3%
1978Q1 -0.1%
1978Q2 0.1%
1978Q3 0.2%
1978Q4 0.6%
1979Q1 0.7%
1979Q2 0.7%
1979Q3 0.9%
1979Q4 1.1%
1980Q1 1.3%
1980Q2 1.6%
1980Q3 1.7%
1980Q4 1.5%
1981Q1 1.4%
1981Q2 1.2%
1981Q3 1.1%
1981Q4 0.8%
1982Q1 0.7%
1982Q2 0.7%
1982Q3 0.5%
1982Q4 0.5%
1983Q1 -0.1%
1983Q2 -0.3%
1983Q3 -0.6%
1983Q4 -0.9%
1984Q1 -1.3%
1984Q2 -1.5%
1984Q3 -1.4%
1984Q4 -1.4%
1985Q1 -1.4%
1985Q2 -1.6%
1985Q3 -1.7%
1985Q4 -2.0%
1986Q1 -2.1%
1986Q2 -2.4%
1986Q3 -2.5%
1986Q4 -2.4%
1987Q1 -2.4%
1987Q2 -2.4%
1987Q3 -2.2%
1987Q4 -2.2%
1988Q1 -1.9%
1988Q2 -1.7%
1988Q3 -1.7%
1988Q4 -1.8%
1989Q1 -1.7%
1989Q2 -1.4%
1989Q3 -1.1%
1989Q4 -1.3%
1990Q1 -1.0%
1990Q2 -1.1%
1990Q3 -1.0%
1990Q4 -0.9%
1991Q1 -0.6%
1991Q2 -0.5%
1991Q3 -0.6%
1991Q4 -0.7%
1992Q1 -0.7%
1992Q2 -0.9%
1992Q3 -0.9%
1992Q4 -1.0%
1993Q1 -1.2%
1993Q2 -1.3%
1993Q3 -1.4%
1993Q4 -1.5%
1994Q1 -1.6%
1994Q2 -1.7%
1994Q3 -1.6%
1994Q4 -1.9%
1995Q1 -1.8%
1995Q2 -2.0%
1995Q3 -1.7%
1995Q4 -1.6%
1996Q1 -1.7%
1996Q2 -1.7%
1996Q3 -1.8%
1996Q4 -1.5%
1997Q1 -1.6%
1997Q2 -1.5%
1997Q3 -1.6%
1997Q4 -1.7%
1998Q1 -1.9%
1998Q2 -2.3%
1998Q3 -2.3%
1998Q4 -2.3%
1999Q1 -2.7%
1999Q2 -2.9%
1999Q3 -3.0%
1999Q4 -3.1%
2000Q1 -3.3%
2000Q2 -3.3%
2000Q3 -3.5%
2000Q4 -3.5%
2001Q1 -3.4%
2001Q2 -3.1%
2001Q3 -3.2%
2001Q4 -3.2%
2002Q1 -3.4%
2002Q2 -3.6%
2002Q3 -3.7%
2002Q4 -3.9%
2003Q1 -3.9%
2003Q2 -3.9%
2003Q3 -3.8%
2003Q4 -3.8%
2004Q1 -3.9%
2004Q2 -4.2%
2004Q3 -4.3%
2004Q4 -4.4%
2005Q1 -4.3%
2005Q2 -4.3%
2005Q3 -4.2%
2005Q4 -4.4%
2006Q1 -4.2%
2006Q2 -4.2%
2006Q3 -4.2%
2006Q4 -4.0%
2007Q1 -4.0%
2007Q2 -3.9%
2007Q3 -3.8%
2007Q4 -3.5%
2008Q1 -3.5%
2008Q2 -3.4%
2008Q3 -3.2%
2008Q4 -3.0%
2009Q1 -2.4%
2009Q2 -2.1%
2009Q3 -2.3%
2009Q4 -2.5%
2010Q1 -2.5%
2010Q2 -2.7%
2010Q3 -3.0%
2010Q4 -2.9%
2011Q1 -2.9%
2011Q2 -2.8%
2011Q3 -2.9%
2011Q4 -3.0%
2012Q1 -3.0%
2012Q2 -3.0%
2012Q3 -3.1%
2012Q4 -3.0%
2013Q1 -3.0%
2013Q2 -3.0%
2013Q3 -3.1%
2013Q4 -3.1%
2014Q1 -3.3%
2014Q2 -3.4%
2014Q3 -3.3%
2014Q4 -3.5%
2015Q1 -3.9%
2015Q2 -3.8%
2015Q3 -3.8%
2015Q4 -3.8%
2016Q1 -3.8%
2016Q2 -3.8%
2016Q3 -3.7%
2016Q4 -3.8%
2017Q1 -3.8%
2017Q2 -4.0%
2017Q3 -3.8%
2017Q4 -3.9%
2018Q1 -4.0%
2018Q2 -3.8%
2018Q3 -4.1%
2018Q4 -4.1%
2019Q1 -4.0%
2019Q2 -4.0%
2019Q3 -3.9%
2019Q4 -3.6%
2020Q1 -3.5%
2020Q2 -4.0%
2020Q3 -4.4%
2020Q4 -4.6%
2021Q1 -4.6%
2021Q2 -4.5%
2021Q3 -4.3%
2021Q4 -4.5%
2022Q1 -5.0%
2022Q2 -4.8%
2022Q3 -4.2%
2022Q4 -4.1%
2023Q1 -3.9%
2023Q2 -3.9%
2023Q3 -3.8%
2023Q4 -3.8%
2024Q1 -4.0%
2024Q2 -4.1%
2024Q3 -4.2%
2024Q4 -4.2%
2025Q1 -5.1%
2025Q2 -3.9%
2025Q3 -3.6%
2025Q4 -3.6%
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Economic Policy Institute

Note: Exact measure is goods exports excluding agricultural goods and petroleum minus goods imports excluding agricultural goods and petroleum.

Source: National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) program of the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

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