We got an early look at the balance of trade Thursday morning. Imports in February were more or less flat after surging in January, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, exports picked up.
All in all, the trade deficit shrank a little from the previous month. But that gap between imports and exports is just about the widest it’s ever been.
President Donald Trump has demonized the trade deficit. And he’s argued that tariffs can help boost American exports and narrow the trade gap. But the thing is, that negative trade balance also has an upside.
Think about the United States as one big household that really loves going out and buying imported goods. To pay for those goods, the household has a of couple options.
“One option is you can export to pay for your imports. The other option is that you can borrow to pay for your…
