Some say the situation is a result of temporary conditions. However, as the impacts come from Trump administration policies, it’s far from clear how long this might last.

The U.S. economy contracted early this year as businesses imported a massive trove of goods before President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs took effect, widening the trade deficit and curtailing growth.

U.S. stocks began Wednesday with a thud after a report suggested the U.S. economy may have shrunk at the start of the year. But the big losses eased as the morning progressed in the latest sharp swings to smack Wall Street amid uncertainty about what President Donald Trump’s trade war will do to the economy.

U.S. stocks are tumbling following a discouraging report suggesting the U.S. economy may have shrunk at the start of the year, before most of President Donald Trump’s announced tariffs could take effe