Core Viewpoint - The latest research report from CICC indicates that the economic data for the first quarter of 2025 in the U.S. reveals a weakening growth momentum, with potential adverse effects on the second quarter due to tariff policies, inventory destocking pressures, and a deteriorating external trade environment [1] Economic Performance - The U.S. real GDP for the first quarter recorded a seasonally adjusted annual rate of -0.3%, marking the first contraction in nearly three years and a significant drop from the previous quarter [3] - The negative GDP growth was primarily driven by businesses preemptively stockpiling goods to avoid potential tariff costs, which detracted 4.8 percentage points from GDP growth [3] - Despite a slight increase in actual domestic private final sales to 3.0%, signals of weakening growth momentum are evident, including a decline in durable goods consumption and a 1.4% drop in government spending, largely due to an 8% decrease in defense spending [3] Tariff Policy Impact - CICC identifies three main pressures on the U.S. economy following the implementation of tariff policies: 1. A slowdown in imports may alleviate the negative impact of preemptive stockpiling on GDP, but inventory destocking will directly suppress production and investment 2. Consumer spending, influenced by preemptive purchases and rising prices, may further slow down 3. Retaliatory measures from trade partners could weaken export competitiveness [3] Labor Market Conditions - In April, the U.S. non-farm payrolls added 177,000 jobs, exceeding market expectations; however, the previous two months saw a downward revision of 58,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate remained at 4.2%, not reflecting the true employment pressures [4] - High levels of layoffs and an increase in the number of individuals filing for unemployment benefits to the highest level since 2021 indicate a shift in the labor market supply-demand relationship [4] - The impact of tariff policies on the profits of trade-related companies and the lagging effects of reduced demand in the service sector may pose greater downward pressure on the employment market [4]
中金：美国经济风险未消，二季度增长或进一步承压