Overview

• The Trump administration blocked the written section of the Agriculture Department’s quarterly report that projected an increased U.S. farm goods trade deficit.
• USDA spokesperson Alec Varsamis said the report was delayed by five days after being held up in an internal clearance process.
• Agriculture Department leadership has launched a review of all non-statutory reports following the decision to suppress the deficit forecast.
• There is no timeline for when, or if, the full unredacted analysis predicting the trade shortfall will be released.
• Former USDA chief economist Joe Glauber warned that withholding objective findings risks eroding public trust in government data.