U.S. Economic Strength Gives Trump Leeway in Trade Fight With China
WASHINGTON—The U.S. economy's strength is emboldening the Trump administration to play hardball in its trade offensive against China. Tariffs tend to be economic downers with an impact like sales taxes, which push up costs for consumers and businesses and slow growth. But so far it is tough to argue that the spat with China is having a broad macroeconomic impact. Economic...Fed Chair Jerome Powell Says Trade Policies Complicate Economic Outlook
as informed in Mr. Powell spoke in an interview on the Marketplace radio program set to air Thursday evening. "I sleep pretty well on the economy right now," Mr. Powell said in the interview, according to a transcript posted online Thursday afternoon. Mr. Powell pointed to considerable uncertainty around the range of possible economic effects of recent trade measures and how they might influence the Fed's plans for raising short-term interest rates. If the Trump administration is successful over time in lowering trade tariffs, "then that'll be a good thing for our economy," Mr. Powell said. Mr. Powell has largely refrained from commenting on trade policy because he has said it isn't part of the Fed's responsibilities.collected by :Donald Luther