United States Treasury Secretary Scott Becent said that as the war in Iran draws to a close, the United States economy still has the opportunity this year to return to a 3 per cent growth track. In an interview with CNBC, he stated that the economic fundamentals of the United States were still strong.
Weak growth in the last two quarters.
The United States economy has performed slowly in the last two quarters. This followed a resurgence of inflation, a slowdown in the job market and the impact of the Trump tariff policy, which put pressure on growth.
The data show that in the first quarter of this year the United States grew 1.6 per cent in annual terms. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the rate of growth was only 0.5 per cent, with an annual growth rate of 2.1 per cent.
Reaffirming the objectives of “3-3-3”
Becent once again referred to its “3-3-3” programme, which promotes 3 per cent economic growth in the United States, reduces the deficit to 3 per cent of GDP and increases crude oil production in the United States by 3 million barrels a day.
He indicated that the deficit target would not necessarily be achieved in the short term, but that it was expected that it would fall to the beginning of “3” before the end of the current presidential term. According to him, this would help to start a fall in the share of total debt in the economy.
Focus on growth and fiscal pathways
By this statement, Becent releases the policy direction of the United States Government, which still wants to advance growth, fiscal contraction and energy expansion at the same time. However, according to available data, the economy of the United States is still 3 per cent away from the rate of growth, with subsequent performance still dependent on changes in inflation, employment and the policy environment.