Data released Wednesday morning by the Commerce Department showed that U.S. imports of goods and services grew 6.6 percent to a record $4.1 trillion, as Americans bought large amounts of auto parts, weight-loss drugs, computers and food from other countries.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the nation’s trade deficit, which the Commerce Department reported Wednesday reached a new record high.

The U.S. trade deficit widened sharply in December as imports surged to a record high against the backdrop of tariff threats, which might have prompted businesses to rush purchases of foreign-made goods like finished metals and computers.

The U.S. trade deficit hit near-record levels in late 2024 as America's trading partners prepare to navigate Trump's tariffs.

President Donald Trump's mission to close the U.S. trade deficit met a greater challenge as America's trade deficit in goods soared to a record $1.2 trillion in 2024.

The US trade gap swelled last year to its second-largest on record, government data showed Wednesday, as deficits come under the spotlight with President Donald Trump's return to the White House. The trade deficit in goods also reached a new record for the year,