WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2025 — Despite trade tensions and business policies that drew criticism globally, positive economic data in the third quarter of the present fiscal year has substantiated projections of many economists and investment bankers that America is heading into 2026 with a sharp growth trajectory led by Artificial Intelligence.

The US economy grew faster than previously this spring, fuelled by robust consumer spending and falling imports, according to new government data.

However, a sluggish job market, inflationary pressures, a considerable drop in new home sales, coupled with cost pressures due to tariffs leaving an impact on imports, have been a matter of concern for the US economy.

A policy that has been viewed through multi-dimensional aspects is the America First approach of the President Trump-led government, which is focused on localized manufacturing.

The trade wars with economic bigwigs including China saw the US dealing with short-term trade uncertainty, but economists believe that self-reliance in terms of manufacturing and the services sector will, in the long run, contribute to the macros.

How the US Could See Growth Accelerate in 2026

Strong Fiscal Plan: Speaking to Bloomberg TV on Friday, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said the US economy was in “pretty good shape and there are some really important tailwinds that have had a profound effect and leading the economy underperform its expectations this time.” David further said that he was optimistic “that we would probably see acceleration heading into 2026.”

“The big structural issue that has kept the US economy going so strong is that the US and other strong economies globally are running a very strong economic fiscal plan. Governments are spending enormously into economies in the developed countries even when there are headwinds. Second macro phenomenon affecting the US economy is the AI structure build, all the capital spending, all that is going in the ground to support the deployment of development, the continuing growth, the AI infrastructure into enterprise.”

Role of Tech & AI Firms: David said the economic policies have been balanced on the other side by trade policies which are getting absorbed. “We are still seeing some of the effects on the trade but there is still a lot more to go.”

The way big technology giants bring the tech into enterprise is a step to watch out for. “They can automate, create efficiencies and reinvest. At the moment they have slowed hiring and that’s why labor numbers are a bit softer.”

Does ‘Make in America’ Support the Local Economy

Despite widespread criticism of US trade policies globally, America has managed to regain leadership in all the sectors in which it has been a market leader. The industry bigwigs aside, the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem in the US has stepped up to enhance local production. Benefitted by government subsidies, sectors such as automobile, aviation, pharmaceuticals, and IT hardware have upped their ante.

The contribution of the electric vehicle segment is a key catalyst in its vibrant manufacturing chain, with the leading EV maker Tesla driving ahead with innovation. With intense competition from Chinese players such as BYD, Tesla has witnessed European sales go down, but employment generation and passing on the benefit of its high-revenue growth to the overall economy has been evident.

Moreover, the increase in manufacturing by Apple in the US has strengthened its production capacity and enhanced its vendors. Apple has managed to keep a firm grip on its production plans in markets across the world. However, in August this year, Apple announced a new $100 billion commitment to America, a significant acceleration of its U.S. investment that now totals $600 billion over the next four years.

As per its initiative, Apple is focused on the ambitious new American Manufacturing Program, or AMP, dedicated to bringing even more of Apple’s supply chain and advanced manufacturing to the U.S. Through AMP, Apple will increase its investment across America and incentivize global companies to manufacture even more critical components in the United States.

Speaking at Italian Tech Week in Turin, Italy on Friday, Solomon said a “drawdown” was likely to hit stock markets in the coming two years. While Solomon predicted some money would be lost, he also appeared optimistic about artificial intelligence.

“I sleep very well. I am not going to bed every night worried about what will happen next,” Solomon said on Friday. “Generally speaking, I think what’s super exciting is the technology is expanding, new companies are being formed, and the potential of this technology deployed into the enterprise can be very, very powerful. So, it’s an exciting time.”