Articles from
Dallas Fed Economics providing critical insights on trade, immigration, and other major international issues, along with in-depth analysis of monetary policy challenges affecting the U.S. economy and its deep financial and economic ties with Mexico.
Dallas Fed Economics
Hormuz closure offsets tariff reversal; U.S. left with upside inflation risk
A pair of important and opposing trade shocks hit the U.S. economy during the first quarter of 2026. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a portion of the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The decision on Feb. 20 lowered average U.S. import tariffs by roughly 4.8 percentage points.
June 02, 2026
Dallas Fed Economics
Implications of the Iran war for U.S. inflation
Recent research quantifies the impact of 2026 Iran war on U.S. inflation and household inflation expectations under a range of scenarios. Under a plausible scenario, 2026 fourth-quarter-over-fourth quarter headline personal consumption expenditures inflation would increase by 0.6 percentage points.
April 17, 2026
Dallas Fed Economics
Californians spend less on electricity than Texans despite higher prices
Retail electricity rates are higher in California than Texas, but electricity cost accounts for a lower share of household budgets in California.
April 14, 2026
Dallas Fed Economics
What the closure of the Strait of Hormuz means for the global economy
The ongoing military conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel has raised concerns about a major disruption of global oil supplies driven by geopolitical events. This conflict has involved attacks on oil infrastructure in neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
March 20, 2026
Dallas Fed Economics
Data center boom expected to raise electricity component of PCE inflation
Even a modest data center boom could put upward pressure on retail electricity prices, impacting PCE inflation.
March 05, 2026
Dallas Fed Economics
Lessons from the destabilization of inflation in the 1970s
Interest has recently increased in the question of whether the destabilization of inflation during the 1970s might repeat itself in the 2020s.
February 17, 2026
Dallas Fed Economics
Utility-scale solar shines in Texas despite tariffs, federal policy changes
Texas is now the top state for utility-scale solar power generation capacity. However, developers of new solar projects face a changing operating environment, one lacking strong federal policy support but also featuring cost-boosting tariffs on imported solar module components.
February 03, 2026
Dallas Fed Economics
Batteries, solar help keep the lights on in Texas but more needed
Many Texas residents remain skeptical about the reliability of the electric grid since massive dayslong outages in February 2021. Notably, the power supply situation has since improved, with capacity added over the past two years, primarily from solar and a tripling of battery storage capacity.
November 04, 2025
Dallas Fed Economics
Rush for U.S. lithium production encounters tough economics
Commercial interests are striving to bring new lithium projects online in the U.S. at a time of growing desire to reduce reliance on China-dominated supply chains and with expectations that global demand could double over the next five years.
October 14, 2025
Dallas Fed Economics
Renewable energy jobs surge, though data differ on where and by how much
Better understanding of the workforce implications of rising electricity demand, particularly at the state and local levels, is critical to planning and anticipating its economic and policy impacts.
August 26, 2025