trade surplus

American

[treyd sur-pluhs, -pluhs] / ˈtreɪd ˌsɜr plʌs, -pləs /

noun

Economics.

a positive balance of trade, or the amount by which the value of a country’s exports exceeds that of its imports.

Etymology

Origin of trade surplus

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Imports rose 7.5% from a year earlier to $51.94 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $15.51 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal

Imports likely rose 13.6%, resulting in a $10.10 billion trade surplus—wider than January’s revised $8.72 billion surplus.

From The Wall Street Journal

January 2026 exports hit $65 billion, up 34% from a year ago, and this resulted in a trade surplus of $8.74 billion.

From MarketWatch

Another clause authorizes the President to cut tariffs if a U.S. trade surplus creates “fundamental international payments problems.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Germany’s trade surplus with the country is still a sizable €51.9 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023