The US trade deficit surged to a record $140.5 billion in March, marking the highest monthly gap on record, as businesses rushed to import goods ahead of new tariffs announced by president Trump. The sharp increase was driven by a historic spike in imports, while exports remained largely flat, according to data from the Commerce Department. Imports rose 4.4% to an all-time high of $419 billion, with goods imports jumping 5.4% to a record $346.8 billion. Exports edged up 0.2% to $278.5 billion, also a record, while goods exports climbed 0.7% to $183.2 billion.