AI Buildout Drove U.S. Import Increase Despite Climbing Tariffs
Dow Jones
Oct 07
1741 ET - The Trump administration's flurry of U.S. tariffs didn't stop imports from rising last year thanks to a glut of spending on AI infrastructure and an early rush to import before tariffs took effect, according to an analysis from the Dallas Fed. The average U.S. tariff rate increased by almost 12 percentage points in 2025, the largest jump since the Great Depression, creating an expectation that spending on U.S. imports would decline sharply, Fed researchers say. Instead, U.S. imports grew by 4.5% last year, they say. Were it not for heightened AI-related importing and countries front-running to beat tariff impositions early in the year, U.S. import growth would've likely been negative, the researchers say.
At the request of the copyright holder, you need to log in to view this content
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.