US Farm Trade Deficit Widens to New Record as Imports Surge

The US agricultural trade deficit widened further in July, highlighting the challenge facing President Donald Trump as he vows to reverse the trend.

Agricultural exports lagged imports by $4.97 billion in July, a gap 9% wider than a year earlier and the largest on record for the month. That pushed the sector’s deficit to an unprecedented $33.6 billion for the first seven months of the year, according to data released Monday by the US Department of Agriculture.

The widening farm trade gap this year has been mostly driven by a jump in imports, just as Trump slapped tariffs on ...