The U.S. Department of Commerce says the trade deficit with South Korea expanded three-fold in April month-on-month after the free trade agreement between the two countries took effect.

The Department of Commerce said imports from South Korea in April reached five-point-five billion dollars, a 14-point-six percent increase compared to the four-point-eight billion dollars it recorded in March.

Exports, on the other hand, recorded just three-point-seven billion dollars, 12 percent less than in March.

The resulting trade deficit came to one-point-eight billion dollars in March, exactly three times more than the 600-million dollar deficit posted in March and nearly twice as large as the deficit posted a year ago.