The following list shows the top 10 general product categories under which America racked up the severest trade deficits during 2014.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: -US$192.1 billion (19.8% of all product deficits)
2. Electronic equipment: -$142.4 billion (14.7%)
3. Vehicles : -$125.1 billion (12.9%)
4. Machinery: -$104.5 billion (10.8%)
5. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: -$42.4 billion (4.4%)
6. Furniture, lighting , signs: -$40.1 billion (4.1%)
7. Clothing (not knit or crochet): -$35.3 billion (3.6%)
8. Pharmaceuticals: -$28.6 billion (3%)
9. Footwear: -$24.6 billion (2.5%)
10. Toys, games: -$21 billion (2.2%)

The above top 10 product categories represent 78.9% of America’s overall product-category deficit subtotal which amounted to $969.4 billion. For that subtotal, 64 of America’s 97 general product categories incurred deficits in 2014 while the remaining 33 categories delivered surplus amounts.

America deepened its trade deficit amounts at the greatest-pace during 2010 to 2014 under the product categories below.

1. Iron, steel: Up 854.4% since 2010 (-US$15.6 billion)
2. Gums, resins, vegetable saps: Up 411.1% (-$1.6 billion)
3. Glass: Up 223.9% (-$1.2 billion)
4. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: Up 162.7% (-$182.2 million)
5. Special woven/tufted fabric: Up 141.6% (-$253.8 million)
6. Lead: Up 139.3% (-$1.1 billion)
7. Milling products: Up 123.6% (-$505 million)
8. Textile floor coverings: Up 81.4% (-$1.3 billion)
9. Base metal tools, cutlery: Up 76.5% (-$3.8 billion)
10. Fertilizers: Up 73.8% (-$3.6 billion)

From the perspective of the more detailed 4-digit harmonized tariff system (HTS) level, below are 15 products that pushed America into the most costly deficits versus its international trade partners.

1. Crude oil: -US$234.7 billion
2. Cars: -$92.7 billion
3. Phone system devices: -$61.4 billion
4. Computers, optical readers: -$54.3 billion
5. Medication mixes in dosage: -$30.5 billion
6. TV receivers/monitors/projectors: -$22.5 billion
7. Automobile parts/accessories: -$19.3 billion
8. Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs): -$15.8 billion
9. Miscellaneous furniture: -$15.1 billion
10. Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet): -$14.5 billion
11. Footwear (leather): -$12.2 billion
12. Printing machinery: -$11.8 billion
13. Aircraft parts: -$11.5 billion
14. Models, puzzles, miscellaneous toys: -$11.1 billion
15. Turbo-jets: -$10.9 billion

Among these, aircraft parts had the fastest-growing US deficit accelerating by 160.2% since 2010. In second place were automobile parts and accessories up 104.8% while negative net exports for turbo-jets rose by 103.8%.

The following list presents trade partners with which America racked up the highest trade deficits in 2014.

1. China: -US$343 billion (36.3% of US country-specific deficits)
2. Germany: -$74.2 billion (7.9%)
3. Japan: -$67.2 billion (7.1%)
4. Mexico: -$53.8 billion (5.7%)
5. Canada: -$34.4 billion (3.6%)
6. Saudi Arabia: -$28.3 billion (3%)
7. Ireland: -$26.1 billion (2.8%)
8. Italy: -$25.1 billion (2.7%)
9. South Korea: -$25 billion (2.6%)
10. Vietnam: -$24.9 billion (2.6%)

The above 10 trade partners represent 74.3% of America’s subtotal deficit of $945.3 billion from the 91 geographic entities with which America demonstrated strong import demand .That subtotal excludes the 130 geographic entities with which America earned trade surpluses.

America grew its trade deficit amounts with the geographic entities below at the fastest-pace during 2010 to 2014, providing evidence of accelerating demand for exports from theseinternational suppliers.

1. Lithuania: Up 4,400% since 2010 (-US$412.8 million)
2. Macedonia: Up 3,497% (-$133.2 million)
3. Guyana: Up 1,562% (-$131.4 million)
4. Bolivia: Up 437.1% (-$924.8 million)
5. Croatia: Up 410.8% (-$123 million)
6. Falkland Is (Malvinas): Up 335.4% (-$11.8 million)
7. Romania: Up 304.9% (-$1.1 billion)
8. Kuwait: Up 198.7% (-$7.8 billion)
9. Slovenia: Up 190.5% (-$398.1 million)
10. Hungary: Up 186.7% (-$3.4 billion)

From the above list, America mostly showed major product supply disadvantages versus this group of traders with comparatively small populations and deficit amounts as high as -$7.8 billion trading with oil-rich Kuwait.

Below are the products that resulted in the greatest US deficits in international trade with China.

1. Phone system devices: -US$57 billion (16.6% of America’s deficit vs. China)
2. Computers, optical readers: -$52.1 billion (15.2%)
3. TV receivers/monitors/projectors: -$11.5 billion (3.4%)
4. Computer parts, accessories: -$10.3 billion (3%)
5. Models, puzzles, miscellaneous toys: -$10.3 billion (3%)
6. Miscellaneous furniture: -$8.4 billion (2.5%)
7. Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs): -$8.3 billion (2.4%)
8. Printing machinery: -$8.2 billion (2.4%)
9. Footwear (leather): -$7.3 billion (2.1%)
10. Cases, handbags, wallets: -$7.2 billion (2.1%)

Among these, computer parts and accessories had the fastest-growing US deficit with China swelling by 26.2% from 2010 to 2014. In second place were phone system devices up 23% followed by chairs increasing by 14.3%.

Below are the products that resulted in the greatest US deficits in international trade with Germany.

1. Cars: -US$20.4 billion (27.4% of America’s deficit vs. Germany)
2. Medication mixes in dosage: -$10.8 billion (14.5%)
3. Automobile parts/accessories: -$4.6 billion (6.2%)
4. Aircraft, spacecraft: -$3.6 billion (4.8%)
5. Turbo-jets: -$1.8 billion (2.5%)
6. Piston engines: -$1.1 billion (1.5%)
7. Liquid pumps and elevators: -$1.1 billion (1.5%)
8. Transmission shafts, gears, clutches: -$1.1 billion (1.4%)
9. Miscellaneous machinery: -$944.9 million (1.3%)
10. Taps, valves, similar appliances: -$929.1 million (1.3%)

Among these, aircraft and spacecraft had the fastest-growing US deficit with Germany swelling by 213.9% from 2010 to 2014. In second place were medication mixes in dosage up 28.3% followed by automobile parts and accessories increasing by 23.3%.

Below are the products that resulted in the greatest US deficits in international trade with Japan.

1. Cars: -US$33.2 billion (49.5% of America’s deficit vs. Japan)
2. Automobile parts/accessories: -$7.8 billion (11.6%)
3. Aircraft parts: -$4.1 billion (6.1%)
4. Printing machinery: -$3.5 billion (5.2%)
5. Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): -$2.8 billion (4.1%)
6. Piston engines: -$1.7 billion (2.6%)
7. Turbo-jets: -$1.6 billion (2.3%)
8. Machinery for making semi-conductors: -$1.6 billion (2.3%)
9. Heterocyclics, nucleic acids: -$1.5 billion (2.2%)
10. Electric ignition/start equipment: -$1.4 billion (2.1%)

Among these, aircraft parts had the fastest-growing US deficit with Japan swelling by 65.2% from 2010 to 2014. In second place were turbo-jets up 28.6% followed by heterocyclics and nucleic acids increasing by 10.4%.