The Global Economy Is Threatened Again by Trade Imbalances
Deficits and surpluses will be on the agenda at next week’s G-7 meeting in the French Alps. When President Trump meets his counterparts at next week’s G-7 summit in France, one of his favorite topics will be on the agenda: the massive U.S. trade deficit. The French hosts want to talk about global imbalances, meaning the U.S.’ current-account deficit and the corresponding surpluses of China and, to a lesser degree, the European Union and Japan. IMF calculates that deficits plus surpluses reached 3.7% last year after falling steadily from around the global financial crisis. Until the early 2000s, they fluctuated between 1% and 3%. While annual deficits are narrower than 15 years ago, they are more persistent and more entrenched in national behavior. Take the U.S., whose current-account deficit of $1.1 trillion is by far the largest single imbalance. This is worrisome. Greg Ip Wall Street Journal June 11, 2026 https://www.wsj.com/economy/global/the-global-economy-is-threa...