U.S. imports declined 4.5% in the 12 months following the April 2025 “Liberation Day” tariff announcement, while ocean containerized imports dropped 4.3%, according to a Descartes Datamyne analysis of U.S. Census and bill-of-lading data.

The report compares May 2025 through April 2026 with the preceding 12-month period, a span marked by the imposition, revision and eventual invalidation of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (EEPA). It finds that trade shifted away from China and toward Mexico, Vietnam, Taiwan and several Southeast Asian sourcing locations.

The pullback in imports helped reduce the U.S. trade deficit, the report said. The monthly gap fell to $20.4 billion in October 2025, down 39% from September, before widening again. In June 2026, the deficit stood at $73.3 billion, down 5.6% from May as imports and exports both declined, with imports falling more sharply.

The movement illustrates how sourcing decisions were influenced not simply by the overall tariff program but by country-specific rates, carve-outs and negotiated trade arrangements.

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