U.S. Agricultural Trade Deficit Hits Record $28.6 Billion
The United States recorded a historic $28.6 billion agricultural trade deficit in early 2025, driven by a sharp decline in exports to China.
The United States Department of Commerce reported that the U.S. agricultural trade deficit reached a record high of $28.6 billion during the first half of 2025. This figure represents a historic reversal for a sector that had maintained major trade surpluses for 50 years.
In June 2025, the value of agricultural exports trailed imports by $4.1 billion, a gap 14 percent larger than the previous year. The deficit is largely driven by a collapse in trade with China, where exports fell to $5.5 billion in the first six months of the year, down from $11.8 billion during the same period in 2024.
Commerce Department data attributes this downward trend to trade wars initiated during the first term of President Donald Trump.
