21.   The groundwater deficit will continue to worsen, the panel says.

22.   The trade deficit continued to serve as a drag on the economy, but it was a less severe brake than in recent periods.

23.   But economists said it was still unclear whether the deficit will continue to narrow.

24.   But the bank expected the monthly deficit to continue to decrease in the latter half of the year because exports are increasing.

25.   Deficits continued in production of rice and wheat, he said, noting that heavy rains and flooding had harmed crops along the Zambezi River in central Mozambique.

26.   Many analysts expressed surprise that the deficit continued to widen in July, confounding forecasts that it would narrow because weaker U.S. growth would slow demand for imports.

27.   Some economists have said the deficit could continue into the next decade because of the continued need to import machinery, electronics and other goods to sustain economic growth.

28.   The deficit should continue to fall, partly because of economic growth.

29.   The Philippine trade deficit continued to narrow in September, with local manufacturers cutting back on imports in anticipation of slower growth, and the weaker peso boosting exports.