United States in March 2026: the most important developments in economy
In the United States in March 2026, the technology industry drew the most attention. OpenAI shut down its Sora video app on March 24 and ended a partnership with Disney. Nvidia invested billions in AI infrastructure, including $2 billion in the data center firm Nebius, resumed production of a modified H200 chip for China and raised its revenue forecast; its chief executive projected $1 trillion in AI chip orders through 2027. Meta reportedly planned layoffs of up to 20 percent of its workforce. Apple launched the iPhone 17e, MacBooks with M5 chips and a $599 laptop called the Neo.
Oil prices dominated the economic news after US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on March 1 and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted. Prices moved between about $81 and $119 a barrel, and US gasoline passed $4 a gallon by month end. The administration set up a $20 billion insurance program for Gulf shipping, released 45 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, waived the Jones Act for 60 days and issued 30-day waivers for Russian and Iranian oil already at sea. On March 22 President Donald Trump gave Iran 48 hours to reopen the strait, and on March 26 he extended the deadline to April 6.
Stocks fell for a fourth week. The economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, with unemployment at 4.4 percent. The Federal Reserve held rates steady on March 18, and Chair Jerome Powell said inflation remained elevated. Twenty-four states sued over the administration's global tariffs, and Washington opened trade investigations into 15 countries.
The Pentagon designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk and shifted contracts to OpenAI. Anthropic sued, and on March 27 a court temporarily blocked the administration from penalizing it.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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