The AI revolution has reshaped the U.S. import market, accounting for 23% of all imports in 2025 and adding $200 billion to the nation’s trade deficit, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis study. Despite President Trump’s tariff policies aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing, the U.S. remains heavily reliant on foreign suppliers for AI-related infrastructure and hardware.
AI Infrastructure Surge
The study reveals that AI-related imports surged 73% last year, driven by the construction of data centers and the procurement of critical components like semiconductors, HVAC systems, and graphic processing units. Non-AI imports, by contrast, grew just 3%. Taiwan and Mexico emerged as key trading partners, supplying half of the AI-related products imported into the U.S.
Trade in AI-related products is a very important force behind U.S. trade over the past year,
said economist Michael Waugh, author of the study.
It might be even more important than dramatic changes in U.S. trade policy.
Trade Deficit Concerns
The AI boom’s impact on the trade deficit is stark. Without AI-related imports, the U.S. goods trade deficit in 2025 would have been $194 billion smaller, or 16% lower than the record $1.2 trillion gap. AI imports totaled $265 billion last year, far outpacing AI-related exports of $71 billion, highlighting the industry’s reliance on foreign supply chains.
The findings underscore the challenges of rebalancing U.S. trade policy to prioritize domestic production and American workers, particularly in high-tech sectors dominated by globalized supply chains.