All
Publications
The United States runs a far larger merchandise trade deficit with China than with any other nation. But when the trade deficit is measured in other ways, the U.S. actually has a larger imbalance with countries outside of China.
The highest U.S. tariffs aren’t on imports from its biggest trading partners, but on products from several developing South Asian nations whose exports are heavily weighted toward clothing, footwear and other products that the U.S. generally taxes highly.
Average tariff rates, while useful for comparison, can obscure the wide range of rates imposed on different classes of imports and on specific products.
The Trump administration’s plans to impose $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports, as well as tariffs recently placed on imported steel and aluminum and on imports of solar panels and washing machines, mark a distinct break from decades of U.S. trade policy, which long has generally favored lower tariffs and fewer restrictions on the movement of goods and services across international borders.
For five countries – Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Haiti, Tajikistan and Liberia – remittances from citizens abroad are equivalent to at least a quarter of GDP.
Remittance flows decreased worldwide for a second consecutive year in 2016, the first back-to-back decline in over three decades. Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean, however, rose to a record high.
Foreign-owned companies employed 6.8 million workers in the United States in 2015, up 22% from 2007. Overall, foreign-owned companies accounted for 5.5% of all U.S. private sector employment in 2015.
The U.S. has more foreign students enrolled in its colleges and universities than any other country in the world. Explore data about foreign students in the U.S. higher education system.
Most Americans say that NAFTA is good for the United States, and relatively few say that Mexico or Canada benefit more from the agreement than the U.S. does.
Copyright 2024 Pew Research Center
