WASHINGTON, April 23, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - New home sales in the United States 
beat expectations in March, according to government data released Wednesday, 
as Americans shook off uncertainty kicked up by Donald Trump's new tariff 
plans.

The US president slapped steep levies on dozens of trading partners, only to 
then temporarily roll many of them back, roiling financial markets and 
sending volatility surging.

Sales of new homes came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 724,000 
last month, a 7.4 percent increase from the revised February figure, the 
Department of Commerce said in a statement.

This was significantly higher than the market consensus of 684,000, according 
to Briefing.com.

The median sales price was $403,600, marking a 1.9 percent decline from 
February, the Commerce Department said.

The new homes market has benefited as homeowners were reluctant to enter the 
market for existing homes while interest rates remained high.

Analysts have warned that tariffs affecting imported building supplies like 
steel could lift the cost of building a new home by thousands of dollars.

This could cause homebuilders to also raise the prices of new units, a move 
that could in turn weigh on sales.