Trade Balance under Bill Clinton
Trade Balance went from −$4B in Bill Clinton's first month to −$10B at month 48: a change of −170.5%. At that point in office it ranks #5 of 5 administrations since 1969. Official data from the Census Bureau and BEA.
All administrations at month 48
| Rank | Administration | Value at month 48 | Change since month 1 | Latest / end of month 48 | Primary federal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Barack Obama | −$35B | +7.9% | −$35B (month 48) | Census Bureau and BEA · BOPGSTB |
| #2 | Donald Trump (first term) | −$61B | −46.3% | −$61B (month 48) | Census Bureau and BEA · BOPGSTB |
| #3 | Joe Biden | −$97B | −57.7% | −$97B (month 48) | Census Bureau and BEA · BOPGSTB |
| #4 | George W. Bush | −$54B | −58.7% | −$54B (month 48) | Census Bureau and BEA · BOPGSTB |
| #5 | Bill Clinton | −$10B | −170.5% | −$10B (month 48) | Census Bureau and BEA · BOPGSTB |
Methodology and source verification
Monthly U.S. balance of trade in goods and services, in billions of dollars (Census Bureau and BEA). Negative = deficit.
Every administration is aligned to its own inauguration: month 1 is the month it took office, and the comparison runs to month 48 (the first term). Each administration is compared at the same month in office, so a president halfway through a term is never measured against another's full four years.
Primary source: Census Bureau and BEA. Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series BOPGSTB, refreshed hourly. Latest observation 2026-09-01, first published 2026-11-04. Full methods: methodology.