Import and Export Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Test Preparation

When a country exports more than it imports, the trade balance is positive, or in common terms, there is a trade surplus. This happens because the value of goods and services sold abroad exceeds the value of goods and services bought from abroad. The term trade surplus specifically captures that situation of a positive trade balance.

The other terms don’t fit as neatly: a trade deficit is the opposite—imports exceed exports. A trade imbalance is a general, less precise label for any mismatch between exports and imports, without indicating which side is larger. The balance of payments deficit refers to the overall net outflow in all payments between a country and the rest of the world, including capital flows, not just the trade part, so it doesn’t describe a scenario where exports exceed imports.