trade surplus

American  

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

noun

Economics.

1. 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

See Examples For:

trade surplus

The eurozone’s adjusted trade surplus widened to 5.0 billion euros in July from 1.0 billion euros in June, according to Eurostat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

That put China’s trade surplus at $119.1 billion in August, widening from $112.5 billion in July but slightly lower than the $119.4 billion anticipated by economists.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

“Despite China’s strong import growth, exports are set to lead to a new record-high trade surplus this year. This could intensify pressure from trading partners to rebalance terms of trade,” said ING economist Lynn Song.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

China is a major exporter to Egypt, with its trade surplus reaching $12 billion in the first seven months of 2026, according to Chinese customs data.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Slovakia's nearly $200 million trade surplus also compares favorably with a more than $800 million deficit in 1993.

From The 1995 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency