# Explain trade deficits to me

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-trade-deficits-to-me/1016829>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 9, 2025, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-trade-deficits-to-me/1016829 "2025-04-09T13:08:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

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**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-trade-deficits-to-me/1016829/3 "2025-04-09T13:28:27Z")

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**LSLGuy** posted a good simplified xkcd explanation in the " [How was the rest of the world “ripping us off”?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-the-rest-of-the-world-ripping-us-off/1016757)" thread:

> [@How was the rest of the world "ripping us off"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-the-rest-of-the-world-ripping-us-off/1016757/8):
>
> Here’s a pretty good explanation of tariffs. See [xkcd: Tariffs](https://xkcd.com/3073/) for the full page, but here’s the meat of the matter: [[image] ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/tariffs.png)

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