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A checked claim

has caused the deficit with China to go up, not down

Joe Biden · The final 2020 presidential debate · October 22, 2020 · Race: President of the United States

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The checks

Each in the checker's own words. This site does not restate another organization's finding in its own voice.

Mostly False

PolitiFact, October 23, 2020 · read the check

Our check against the record

Does not match the record

Checked against The U.S. trade deficit in goods with China, annual totals 1985-2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, the FT-900 country series): $346.8 billion in 2016, $418.2 billion in 2018 and $342.6 billion in 2019, the last complete year before the claim.

The record: Trade in Goods with China, the annual totals of the FT-900 country series

U.S. trade deficit in goods with ChinaU.S. trade deficit in goods with China ran from $0.0 billion in 1985 to $202.7 billion in 2025, between $0.0 billion and $418.2 billion across the series; the date of the claim, 2020-10-22, is marked.010020030040019901995200020052010201520202025the claim1985: $0.0 billion1986: $1.7 billion1987: $2.8 billion1988: $3.5 billion1989: $6.2 billion1990: $10.4 billion1991: $12.7 billion1992: $18.3 billion1993: $22.8 billion1994: $29.5 billion1995: $33.8 billion1996: $39.5 billion1997: $49.7 billion1998: $56.9 billion1999: $68.7 billion2000: $83.8 billion2001: $83.1 billion2002: $103.1 billion2003: $124.1 billion2004: $162.3 billion2005: $202.3 billion2006: $234.1 billion2007: $258.5 billion2008: $268.0 billion2009: $226.9 billion2010: $273.0 billion2011: $295.2 billion2012: $315.1 billion2013: $318.7 billion2014: $344.8 billion2015: $367.3 billion2016: $346.8 billion2017: $375.2 billion2018: $418.2 billion2019: $342.6 billion2020: $308.0 billion2021: $352.8 billion2022: $382.3 billion2023: $279.6 billion2024: $297.0 billion2025: $202.7 billionUnited States
U.S. trade deficit in goods with ChinaU.S. trade deficit in goods with China ran from $0.0 billion in 1985 to $202.7 billion in 2025, between $0.0 billion and $418.2 billion across the series; the date of the claim, 2020-10-22, is marked.Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Trade in Goods with China, the annual totals of the FT-900 country series · as of 2026-09-19 · Download this chart
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
SeriesWhenbillions of dollars
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China19850
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China19861.7
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China19872.8
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China19883.5
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China19896.2
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199010.4
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199112.7
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199218.3
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199322.8
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199429.5
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199533.8
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199639.5
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199749.7
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199856.9
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China199968.7
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China200083.8
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China200183.1
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2002103.1
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2003124.1
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2004162.3
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2005202.3
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2006234.1
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2007258.5
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2008268
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2009226.9
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2010273
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2011295.2
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2012315.1
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2013318.7
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2014344.8
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2015367.3
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2016346.8
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2017375.2
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2018418.2
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2019342.6
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2020308
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2021352.8
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2022382.3
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2023279.6
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2024297
U.S. trade deficit in goods with China2025202.7

Context

He was describing the effect of the Trump administration's trade policy on the United States trade deficit with China.

Topics: Trade.

Other claims by Joe Biden

Every claim filed under Joe Biden

Sources

  1. Fact-checking Donald Trump, Joe Biden in the final presidential debate · PolitiFact · 2020-10-23 · accessed 2026-09-18
  2. Trade in Goods with China, the annual totals of the FT-900 country series · U.S. Census Bureau · accessed 2026-09-19

Cite and data

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Cracked Buckeye, "Joe Biden: "has caused the deficit with China to go up, not down"", https://crackedbuckeye.com/claims/2020-10-22-joe-biden-deficit-with-china-went-up/, built 2026-11-03, accessed [date].

How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-11-03