Is the US Economy Headed for a Slowdown?

If the US consumer is the engine driving the economy, then some funky noises are coming from underneath the hood.

It seems everyone rushed to get their spending done before Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China hit

The pull forward was always likely to obscure the underlying trend early on.

Markets Are Finally, For Real, Pricing in An Economic War

suggesting investors are officially pricing in a lower-growth future after weeks of possibly misguided optimism.

a steep selloff that first rocked markets on [March 3-4], pricing in a future of higher import costs, potential inflation and the disruption of once-integrated supply chains.

Inflation Cooled in February. Now Come Tariffs.

So the good news: Inflation may be calming down. The bad news: Likely-inflationary tariffs are just starting to hit now, meaning this may well be just the calm before the storm.

“There’s no disinflation momentum right now,” [Nationwide chief economist Kathy] Bostjancic added. “We are predicting a little bit of a bump up in the coming months because of these tariffs.”

GDP estimates are being revised downward too.

Walmart is trying to pass tariff costs onto suppliers. It’s not alone

However, this approach has proven difficult. Many suppliers have resisted, resisting price cuts and calling for changes in production. Some have even been urged to move production outside of China, with countries like Vietnam seen as potential alternatives.

Canada to impose 25% retaliatory tariffs on $21 billion worth of U.S. goods

The new tariffs cover steel and aluminum, as well as other U.S. goods including computers, sports equipment and cast iron products

The new Canadian duties are on top of the 25% counter-tariffs that Ottawa already slapped on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods.