Trump’s criticism of India’s trade practices backed by decades of data. Chart shows U.S. trade deficit with India has grown steadily from 1985 to 2024.

President Donald Trump’s latest criticism of India centers on what he calls an unfair trade imbalance. U.S. trade data shows India consistently exports nearly twice as much to the United States as it imports.

In 2024, U.S. exports to India totaled $41.5 billion, while imports reached $87.3 billion, leaving a $45.8 billion trade deficit. The gap has remained steady in recent years: $43.2 billion in 2023, $38.7 billion in 2022, and $33.5 billion in 2021. A decade ago, the annual deficit was around $20 billion.

U.S. exports to India have grown slowly, while imports have increased at a faster pace, widening the imbalance. In the first half of 2025, the United States reported a $34.2 billion trade shortfall.

Trump, who has often framed trade as a zero-sum issue, has pointed to the continued deficit as evidence that India is benefiting disproportionately from access to the U.S. market.