Trade Balance Calculator

Work out trade balance instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Trade Balance Calculator

The merchandise trade balance often looks alarming in isolation because services are excluded. Adding net services exports gives the overall trade balance, and expressing it as a share of GDP is what makes it comparable across countries and across years.

Formulas

Merchandise balance

Merchandise balance = Exports - Imports

Overall balance

Overall = Merchandise balance + Net services exports

Coverage ratio

Coverage % = Exports / Imports x 100

Worked example

With the default values below, Trade Balance Calculator returns Overall trade balance of -$2,500,000,000,000.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Merchandise exports: 44,000,000,000,000
Merchandise imports: 58,000,000,000,000
Net services exports: 11,500,000,000,000
Gross domestic product: 295,000,000,000,000

Results

Overall trade balance: -$2,500,000,000,000.00
Merchandise trade balance: -$14,000,000,000,000.00
Trade balance as % of GDP: -0.847%
Exports as % of imports: 75.86%

Step by step

1Values used
2Merchandise balance
3Overall balance
4Coverage ratio
5Overall trade balance= -2,500,000,000,000.00
6Merchandise trade balance= -14,000,000,000,000.00
7Trade balance as % of GDP= -0.847
8Exports as % of imports= 75.86

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Indicative estimate only. Fees, entitlements, limits and formulas vary by jurisdiction, statute, policy wording and the facts of the case. This is not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice — confirm with a qualified professional or the relevant authority.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Indicative estimate only. Fees, entitlements, limits and formulas vary by jurisdiction, statute, policy wording and the facts of the case. This is not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice — confirm with a qualified professional or the relevant authority.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a trade deficit bad?

Not inherently. It reflects a country investing more than it saves, which can be productive. It becomes a problem when it is financed by short-term volatile capital.

How does this relate to the current account?

The current account adds primary income (investment income) and secondary income (remittances) to the trade balance.