Dataset quality · U.S. Census Bureau — Foreign Trade Division

U.S. Trade Flows

The U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade program tracks the value of goods imported into and exported from the United States, broken down by country, port of entry, and commodity (HS/NAICS). Monthly data is published via the FT900 release. This dataset focuses on annual import values from the three largest trading partners — China, Mexico, Canada — covering the full arc of the 2018–2025 tariff cycle.

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Monthly series since 1990 — annual view used here

The Census Bureau FT900 monthly release is one of the most closely watched economic indicators in the U.S. Annual aggregates used in this story are fully consistent across years. No gaps in country-level data for the major trading partners.

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Country-level data — complete for major partners

Country attribution follows the country of origin (for imports) or final destination (for exports). Data for China, Mexico, and Canada — the top 3 partners — is complete and unambiguous.

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Import/export values — reliable, revision-minimal

Import values are reported by Customs and Border Protection at time of entry. The dataset is subject to minor revisions in the 12 months following publication as late-reported entries are reconciled.

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Tariff rates — indicative, not transaction-level

The effective tariff rate is a weighted average from USITC DataWeb. It excludes anti-dumping and countervailing duties, which can be substantial (especially for China). Use as a directional signal, not a precise applied rate.

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