US budget surplus surges to $258 billion in April, year-to-date deficit tops $1 trillion

The U.S. government posted a $258 billion budget surplus for April, up 23%, or about $49 billion, from a year earlier, reflecting strong tax receipts in the final month of the tax season and surging collections of import duties, the Treasury Department said on Monday. Treasury reported that net customs duties in April totaled $16 billion, about a $9 billion increase from the year-earlier period. The increase occurred during a month in which President Donald Trump boosted tariffs on Chinese goods to as much as 145% while slapping at least 10% levies on imports of goods from other countries.