Has Trump Actually Shrunk the Trade Deficit? (Level 1)

US President Donald Trump recently said that his tariffs are working. He claimed the US trade deficit went down by 77%. A trade deficit happens when a country buys more from other countries than it sells. However, experts say this number is misleading. The big drop happened mostly because of two products: gold and medicine. These items are not even subject to Trump's tariffs. Companies bought a lot of these goods early in the year to avoid future costs. Later, they stopped buying as much, which made the deficit look smaller. Also, the value of the US dollar went down. A weaker dollar helps the US sell more goods abroad. Despite what the President says, factory jobs in America are decreasing. Most economists believe the changes are due to normal market trends, not the new tariffs.