US Trade Deficit Widened Sharply in December 2025; Full-Year Goods Gap Hit Record Despite Tariffs

Trump claims US trade deficit decreased by 78 percent due to tariffs

By Tara Suter · 18h ago

Bias Score

58%

Headline Bait

35%

This piece focuses almost entirely on Trump's Truth Social claim and surrounding political context — market disruption, ally tensions, midterm anxieties, Republican revolts — rather than the actual trade data. It embeds the claim within a catalog of Trump administration failures without providing the Commerce Department figures needed to factually evaluate his 78% assertion, making it more political commentary than economic reporting.

Narrative FramingSelective OmissionAppeal to EmotionSource Selection BiasLoaded Language

“Trump's tariff policy has rattled markets around the globe, increased economic uncertainty and strained relationships with historic U.S. allies”

“Trump's lead White House economic adviser also recently suggested that a group of Federal Reserve researchers should face punishment”

Newsmax Center-Left

US Trade Deficit Widens 32.6% to $70.3 Billion

6h ago

Bias Score

38%

Headline Bait

12%

The article includes solid factual data but editorializes through phrases like 'barrage of tariffs' and 'punitive duties have not yielded a manufacturing renaissance.' These characterizations go beyond neutral reporting, framing tariffs as having definitively failed rather than presenting the outcome as contested or complex.

Loaded LanguageSelective OmissionNarrative Framing

“Trump last year unleashed a barrage of tariffs against trading partners”

“the punitive duties have not yielded a manufacturing renaissance, with factory employment declining by 83,000 jobs”

Reuters Center-Left

US trade deficit widens sharply in December; goods trade gap highest on record in 2025

By Reuters · 7h ago

Bias Score

36%

Headline Bait

10%

Nearly identical in content and framing to another wire report, this piece uses 'barrage of tariffs' and 'punitive duties' — editorial language framing tariffs negatively. It contextualizes the data accurately but the loaded phrasing tips the otherwise factual reporting toward a clear interpretive lean.

Loaded LanguageNarrative FramingCollective Narrative Alignment

“Trump last year unleashed a barrage of tariffs against trading partners”

“the punitive duties have not yielded a manufacturing renaissance”

The Washington Post Center-Left

U.S. trade deficits remain high in 2025, despite Trump's tariff policy

By Rachel Siegel · 8h ago

Bias Score

30%

Headline Bait

20%

This short piece accurately reports the key figures but leads with the record goods deficit while describing it as occurring 'even as the Trump administration pursued a trade agenda.' The framing subtly sets up a contrast suggesting policy failure, though the brevity limits the depth of any spin.

Narrative FramingSelective Omission

“The U.S. trade deficit for goods hit a record $1.2 trillion last year, even as the Trump administration pursued a trade agenda with aggressive tariffs”

The New York Times Center

U.S. Imports Grew in 2025, as Trump's Tariffs Took Effect

By Ana Swanson · 8h ago

Bias Score

25%

Headline Bait

30%

This piece provides one of the fuller analyses, including expert quotes presenting genuine uncertainty about tariff effects, trade diversion dynamics, and the inventory/stockpiling explanation for monthly swings. The headline 'Imports Grew' is technically accurate but understates nuance. Overall framing is reasonably balanced with appropriate epistemic humility.

Selective OmissionNarrative Framing

“it was 'a bit too early to tell what the lasting impacts of Trump's trade policies are'”

“whether the policies lead to lower imports, higher exports and a narrower trade deficit in the long run still appears something of an open question”

CNBC Center

U.S. trade deficit totaled $901 billion in 2025 despite Trump's tariffs

By Jeff Cox · 7h ago

Bias Score

22%

Headline Bait

18%

This is one of the more balanced reports, noting both that the full-year deficit was 'essentially unchanged' and that Trump softened tariff positions with ongoing negotiations. It includes useful context on company front-loading behavior and historical comparison to the 2022 record deficit, offering a fuller picture.

Selective Omission

“the imbalance was essentially unchanged despite efforts by the Trump administration to close the wide gap”

“Trump softened many of those positions, and negotiations with major trading partners are ongoing”

Daily Mail Center

U.S. trade deficit slipped to $901 billion last year amid Trump...

8h ago

Bias Score

20%

Headline Bait

15%

A brief, factual wire-style report that accurately notes both the modest full-year deficit decline and that tariff inflation impact was less than expected. It presents Trump's stated rationale alongside the data without strong editorializing, though brevity means important context (goods vs. services split, December drivers) is missing.

Selective Omission

“they haven't had as much impact on inflation as economists originally expected”

“Trump argues that the tariffs will protect U.S. industries, bringing manufacturing back to America”

The Independent Center

U.S. trade deficit slipped to $901 billion last year amid Trump tariffs

7h ago

Bias Score

20%

Headline Bait

14%

This article provides notably balanced context, including expert commentary from a Peterson Institute economist on trade diversion risks, the services surplus expansion, inflation impact being less than expected, and both sides of the tariff debate. The framing is neutral and informative without strong editorial lean.

Selective Omission

“they haven't had as much impact on inflation as economists originally expected”

“Trump argues that the tariffs will protect U.S. industries, bringing manufacturing back to America and raise money for the U.S. Treasury”

Forbes Center

U.S. Trade Gap Widened In December Despite Trump's Tariffs

By Ty Roush · 8h ago

Bias Score

18%

Headline Bait

22%

A concise, data-focused report that accurately describes December's figures, the monthly trend context, and Wall Street's forecast miss. The phrase 'tariffs disrupting global trade' is slightly loaded but the overall piece is straightforward and avoids strong editorializing on policy success or failure.

Loaded Language

“after rebounding from its lowest point in more than a decade two months earlier, despite President Donald Trump's tariffs disrupting global trade”

“That marks a 139% increase from October's trade deficit of $29.4 billion, the smallest trade gap since 2009”

The Wall Street Journal Center

U.S. Trade Deficit Grew in December

By Matt Grossman · 8h ago

Bias Score

18%

Headline Bait

12%

One of the more technically precise reports, correctly identifying gold trading swings as a major driver of December's volatility and noting AI equipment imports specifically. The article avoids strong editorial framing and presents the year's trade pattern chronologically without pronounced political spin.

Selective Omission

“A $7.1 billion decrease in U.S. gold exports drove the overall $5.5 billion decrease in goods exports”

“Overall last year, the tariffs did little to dissuade Americans from importing, with goods and services purchased from overseas little changed from levels seen during the Biden administration”

Bloomberg Center

Watch US Economy: Jobless Claims Decline, December Trade Deficit Unexpectedly Widens

8h ago

Bias Score

10%

Headline Bait

20%

This is a brief broadcast summary that neutrally reports both the unemployment claims improvement and the trade deficit widening without editorializing. Its very short format limits analysis but the framing is straightforward and does not push any political interpretation.

“the US trade deficit widened in December, from the prior month to $70.3 billion, with the shortfall culminating in a full-year deficit of $901.5 billion”

US Trade Deficit Widened Sharply in December 2025; Full-Year Goods Gap Hit Record Despite Tariffs

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Source Articles Analyzed (11)

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