U.S. agricultural import values outpaced export values in 2025

The U.S. agricultural trade balance was positive for nearly 60 years until 2019, when the balance began shifting to a deficit. By 2025, U.S. agricultural imports grew to exceed exports by $41 billion. U.S. agricultural exports grew at a compound annual growth rate of 2.3 percent between 2015 and 2025—with growing global competition, a strong dollar, and trade barriers all posing headwinds to export growth. In comparison, U.S. agricultural imports have largely followed a more stable upward trend, growing at a rate of 5.8 percent between 2015 and 2025. U.S. agricultural imports have been driven by: a strong U.S. economy, the strength of the dollar, and a robust and increasingly diverse appetite of the U.S. consumer. Much of the U.S. agricultural import growth has come from high-valued imported goods—such as fruits and vegetables, alcoholic beverages, and processed food products. Those goods often include products that can’t be easily or economically produced in the United States (such as tropical products or off-season produce), as well as labor-intensive products that can be comparatively more cost effective to produce in other countries. In 2025, U.S. agricultural imports fell slightly, slowing in the second half of the year, partially in response to new tariff policies.