The US economy surprisingly contracted by 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025, marking the first negative result since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Commerce’s announcement on Wednesday. The contraction was primarily driven by a significant increase in imports, while consumer spending rose by 1.8 percent, the weakest growth since mid-2023. Originally, economists had anticipated the gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 0.3 to 0.4 percent in the first three months of the year, following a 2.4 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2024. It is feared that the trade conflict initiated by US President Donald Trump will continue to have massive impacts on the economy.