U.S. agricultural trade deficit is deepening

The U.S. agricultural trade deficit is widening in 2025, driven by shifting global trade dynamics and rising import demand. This is the conclusion of Faith Parum, economist, writing for the American Farm Bureau Federation on June 20^th. Fruit exports are down $12.09 billion (14%). Vegetable exports are down $4.79 billion (6%)

USDA’s Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade: May 2025 report provides projections for exports and imports, offering insight into current trade trends. From January through April, the United States imported $78.2 billion in agricultural products while exporting just $58.5 billion. This $19.7 billion deficit is the largest ever recorded for the first four months of a year and signals that the 2025 deficit could surpass previous records.