Prior was -82.4BExports of goods for May were $207.7 billion, $11.8 billion less than April exportsImports of goods for May were $313.4 billion, $10.9 billion more than April importsThis is the worst since July 2025 and this will mean downgrades to Q2 growth estimates, including GDP trackers.The U.S. advance goods trade balance is a monthly report published by the Census Bureau as part of its Advance Economic Indicators Report, released roughly a week ahead of the comprehensive FT-900 international trade figures. It captures trade in goods only, measured on a Census basis by principal end-use category, giving markets an early read on exports, imports, and the goods deficit for the reference month. Because goods flows account for most of the month-to-month volatility in the broader trade balance, the advance release is closely tracked as an input to GDP nowcasting, which was downgraded yesterday for Q2.Through April 2026, the goods deficit narrowed to $82.4 billion, down from $85.3 billion in March. Goods exports rose $8.5 billion to a record $219.7 billion, while goods imports increased $5.6 billion to $302.1 billion. The April reading extended a broader pattern of stabilization following the tariff-driven distortions of 2025, when front-loaded imports pushed the deficit into record territory before activity cooled.On a category basis in April, exports advanced roughly 4%, led by capital goods, consumer goods, and industrial supplies, with vehicle and food exports edging lower. Imports rose about 1.9%, as gains in capital goods and foods were partly offset by declines in industrial supplies, vehicles, and consumer goods.The monthly path through early 2026 ran near $80.9 billion in January, $83.5 billion in February, and $85.3 billion in March (revised), before the April narrowing. For the January–April period, the cumulative goods deficit fell sharply to roughly $330 billion from about $549 billion in the same span of 2025, reflecting the unwinding of the prior year's import surge ahead of tariff implementation. This article was written by Adam Button at investinglive.com.