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.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he wants to work on reducing the trade deficit with Japan, as he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House. Ishiba said during the meeting that Toyota and Isuzu were planning additional investments in the United States.

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.

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.