Trade deficit spikes in 2017 on 'Trump's watch,' sparking immediate reaction

The U.S. trade deficit increased by more than $61 billion in 2017, the Commerce Department announced on Tuesday – an expected rise that sparked wildly different reactions and interpretations of the Trump administration's effect on the economy. “For 2017, the goods and services deficit increased $61.2 billion, or 12.1 percent, from 2016,” the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau said in their monthly report for December , which includes year-end totals. “Exports increased $121.2 billion or 5.5 percent...