Data & financial journalist covering global economics and policy
Israel’s strikes on Iran’s strategic sites have sent Brent crude and gold prices sharply higher, while potential threats to Kharg Island and the Strait of Hormuz chokepoints could force shipping reroutes, risking wider global supply-chain disruptions.
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 pick five charts that captured how policy and politics reshaped the American economy 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.
Despite sanctions, Russia’s crude oil exports remain steady. Trade flows have pivoted from Europe to Asia, with China and India now the top buyers. India’s growing imports—and its refusal to join Western sanctions—have triggered steep new U.S. tariffs.