The tariffs on international goods that the Trump administration has said would extract substantial revenues from foreign governments and companies has done quite the opposite, according to a German economic policy think tank. 

Our most-read online stories of the year paint a picture of our economy, where opportunity and challenge exist side by side.

Bankruptcies have been on the rise in Benton and Franklin counties and across Eastern Washington since a low point in 2022, and the rate doesn’t look like it will come down just yet. 

Overall, the outlook for 2026 is a positive one, with a relatively steady flow of work going into 2026, according to local design firms who are frequently working on projects months before any dirt is moved on the ground.

This column’s summary of the region’s key economic factors is a mixed bag. My hunch is that a read of the 2026 greater Tri-Cities economy is likely to retain this ambivalence.

The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business reached out to the three commissioners-elect to learn more about  their top priorities. Here’s what they had to say.

One of the nation’s most prominent credit rating agencies has downgraded its assessment of Washington state’s credit rating. 

The federal government shutdown is exacerbating an already strained economy, according to one survey. 

The Trump administration’s top official at the U.S. Department of Energy has reportedly told a Washington senator that he is stalling operations at a critical Hanford site facility that is weeks away from beginning operations – though his office says otherwise.

Washington’s grocery prices could grow more than 16% if President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs are allowed to continue, predicts a new state report released Thursday.