Economics

The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services increased by 14% in March to a record $140.5 billion. Imports of goods totaled $346.8 billion, and exports of goods totaled $183.2 billion. Import increases were seen across several categories, including pharmaceuticals, cars, and computer accessories. Industrial supplies and materials, including oil, decreased. The U.S runs a trade surplus in services, importing $72.2 billion in March while exporting $95.2 billion. Both imports and exports of travel decreased. The increase in imported goods is largely to avoid potential future tariffs. The decline in

The state’s business leaders recently met to examine Georgia’s current energy needs and anticipate future demands. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce sponsored the third annual Future of Energy and Sustainability conference in early May. It brought together leaders from Georgia Power and Oglethorpe Power, Norfolk Southern, Delta Airlines and Kia Georgia. Savannah Taylor, Research Director of the Georgia Chamber Foundation, said they examined how businesses are working to provide a feasible investment by looking at sustainable energy and increasing natural resources to support expanding economic development. In addition to traditional energy

There was mixed economic news at the national level last week. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3% in the first quarter. The decline in economic activity was driven by imports, which increased by 41% from the fourth quarter of 2024. Imports are subtracted from GDP because they represent expenditures by US residents on goods and services from overseas. Much of these imports ended up in firms’ inventory as they tried to get ahead of expected tariffs. We

An Augusta company is watching as a Japanese aeronautics company hits two recent milestones. On April 9, SkyDrive, Inc. successfully conducted a demo flight of the SkyDrive SD-05 model of its air taxi at the Expo 2025 in Osaka. Bravo Air, which provides charter jet service at Augusta Regional Airport, has been following the advances. “I think it’s very exciting, because this is going to open up new realms of aviation and our ability to transport passengers in an innovative way in the future,” Pamela Davison, CEO of Bravo Air,