Data and Financial Journalist
In 2025, the U.S. economy didn’t simply cool or rebound but changed in ways that were visible in the data itself.
A shutdown distorted inflation, tariffs reset global trade, U.S. debt buyers quietly swapped places, and food prices surged. I picked five charts of 2025 that captured how policy and politics reshaped the American economy
Persistently high inflation makes this reduction a tricky one. The interest rate cut is the first in Trump’s second term as well as the first in 2025.
Beginning midnight, Oct. 14, 2025, imports of select wood and furniture items—including softwood, kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, and upholstered furniture—face new Section 232 tariffs, targeting imports of timber, wood products, furniture, and cabinetry.
The August inflation data overlaps with President Trump’s latest round of tariffs on major U.S. trading partners. But while the direct impact is up for debate, beef’s surge suggests tariffs may already be filtering into consumer prices.