Trade is one of Trump's signature issues. Despite his aggressive trade moves, the total monthly trade deficit in goods and services — that is, the value of goods and services exported by the US minus the value of imports — has gotten larger in the last couple years.

The trade balance calculates a country's exports minus its imports in a given period. When a nation imports more goods than it exports, the result would be a trade deficit.

The Bush administration's trade imbalance increased for much of his two terms in office, partially brought on by additional trading with China as it was integrated into global markets. Then trade decreased sharply during the Great Recession.

The trade balance fluctuated but held steady during the Obama administration. And during Trump era, the deficit started to increase to levels not seen since the Bush administration — despite him vowing to "start whittling it down, and as fast as possible" in 2017. Last year, the trade deficit stood at $891 billion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Still, a growing deficit partially means the economy is growing, the result of increased consumer spending that leads to more imports.