More GDP Growth News

12/23/25 Guardian doing its best to rain on the parade and not quite successful:

"The US economy surged over the summer, the commerce department announced on Tuesday in one of the final snapshots of the nation’s finances to be released in 2025.

"Gross domestic product (GDP) – a broad measure of the value of goods and services – rose at an annualized rate of 4.3% over the third quarter, far higher than expected and its fastest rate in two years.

"The surprisingly strong growth “reflected increases in consumer spending, exports, and government spending that were partly offset by a decrease in investment”, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis....

"The US economy has demonstrated resilience in a year of extraordinary challenges. Trump announced sweeping tariffs in April on the US’s major trading partners and while he has watered down or rolled back many of the levies, the uncertainty they have caused has rattled businesses and consumers.

"The US economy contracted in the first quarter of 2025 as businesses tried to get ahead of Trump’s threatened tariffs with an unprecedented surge in imports. But GDP growth soon recovered, spurred on by massive investment in artificial intelligence and robust consumer spending."

Yes, we need to cut government spending to reduce the deficit and stop adding to the national debt.  But all the doomsayers about Trump’s tariff policies are looking increasingly wrong 

Trade Wars

5/8/25 ABC News is of course reluctant to give him props for it:

President Donald Trump unveiled the framework for a trade agreement with the United Kingdom on Thursday, marking the first such accord with any nation since the White House suspended some of its far-reaching "Liberation Day" tariffs last month.

The Trump administration will adjust 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, and will lower auto tariffs from 25% to 10% on the first 100,000 British vehicles sent to the U.S., Trump said.

The agreement left in place 10% tariffs that the U.S. slapped last month on imported goods from nearly all foreign countries.

In exchange, the U.K. will ease trade barriers targeting a set of products, including ethanol, beef and machinery, among other products, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said. That additional market access amounts to $5 billion worth of trade, the White House said.

Self-Sufficiency

One of Trump's goals with tariffs is self-sufficiency.   Strategic goods such as ships, weapon systems,  medicine, metals, electronics.  You will notice food is not on the list.  Yes, we import pineapples and a lot of other non-essential foods.  If Americans had to eat only U S. made foods,  it would likely be only a problem for foodies who are not likely big Trump supporters.

What happens when China increases tariffs on American goods?  Something really important goes up in price: food.  Where does China gets its food?  World Bank shows that we are China's second largest source of food.  I doubt that they cannot find food to buy elsewhere,  much like we can doubtless find other sources for the largely non-stratrgic goods we import from China.  But food shortages have a history of causing sometimes chaotic conditions for the Chinese government as it does for most.