Why Trade Deficit Data Misses Services Exports

Episode 41 of The Trade Deficit Podcast digs into a blind spot in how we measure the US trade deficit: services exports. Lucas and Luna examine why the headline goods deficit grabs attention while services trade—worth over $900 billion annually—gets short shrift. Using the latest April 2026 trade balance of -$55.9 billion, they explore how digital services, streaming royalties, and cloud computing exports are undercounted, and why that matters for policy. They also connect the dots to the strong dollar, which is boosting services imports while hurting goods exporters. A must-listen for anyone who thinks they understand the trade deficit. #TradeDeficit #ServicesExports #DigitalTrade #USEconomy #BalanceOfPayments #TradeData #DollarStrength #CloudComputing #StreamingRoyalties #EconomicIndicators #GDP #TradePolicy #CurrentAccount #Exports #Imports #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo