Imports did not vanish, but their growth rate was flat at zero percent in February compared to January after nearly two months of importers rushing in orders ahead of tariffs. February goods and services imports were $401 billion, a statistically insignificant change from January, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said.
It’s a straight line up. The goods and services deficit kicked off January by rising a record 34% over December. Importers are front running tariffs and getting in their orders before everything changes, likely at some point after April 1.
The evidence is clear: neither tariffs nor the surge of imports from trade liberalization have had a significant effect on inflation, positive or negative.
Thanks in no small part to a strong dollar, and the animal spirits of the U.S consumer and businesses, the United States goods trade deficit broke a record in 2024.
Decades of free trade agreements have led to a record $39 billion agricultural trade deficit in 2024, undermining the broader U.S. agricultural industry.
This new CPA economic report is a damning indictment of how decades of free trade policies have hollowed out America’s agricultural sector, benefiting a handful of corporate giants while leaving family farms to bear the brunt of a failed experiment.
The goods and services trade deficit rose 7.6% in November to $78.2 billion, a big leap from previous months when the deficit was trailing under the three month moving average, based on Bureau of Economic Analysis data released this week.
The U.S. goods and services deficit took a surprising 19.3% leap to $84.4 billion in September, with exports falling by 1.2% and imports rising by 3%, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on Tuesday.