U.S. ag trade surplus gets smaller

The U.S. agricultural trade surplus will shrink to $13.5 billion this fiscal year, the smallest in at least six years, as exports stagnate at $141.5 billion and imports tick upward to $128 billion, said the USDA in a quarterly forecast. Farm exports are a consistent bright spot in the U.S. trade picture and generate at least 20 cents of every $1 in farm receipts.