US Economy Shrinks 0.3% In First Quarter

Washington: The US economy shrank 0.3% from January through March, first drop in three years. It was slowed by a surge in imports as companies in the United States tried to bring in foreign goods before President Donald Trump imposed massive tariffs.

The January-March expansion was the slowest in almost three years and was down from 2.4% in the last three months of 2024. Imports shaved 5 percentage points off first-quarter growth.

Consumer spending also slowed sharply. Trump inherited a solid economy that had grown steadily despite high interest rates imposed by the Federal Reserve to fight inflation.