Finance glossary
Trade Deficit
Definition
When a country imports more goods and services than it exports.
A trade deficit occurs when a country imports exceed its exports. It is often seen as negative, suggesting domestic demand is met by foreign production, but it can also reflect a strong economy where consumers have purchasing power. The U.S. consistently runs a large trade deficit.
In a sentence
The country ran a trade deficit because it imported far more electronics than it exported.
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