Tag: US

Fed’s December rate cut looks increasingly like a toss-up

Citing worries about inflation and signs of relative stability in the labor market after two U.S. interest rate cuts this year, a growing number of Federal Reserve policymakers are signaling reticence on further easing, helping push financial market-based odds of a reduction in borrowing costs in December to below 50%.

Trump signs funding bill, ends government shutdown

President Donald Trump late Wednesday signed into law a funding bill to end the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.

US Senate passes bill to end government shutdown, sends to House

The U.S. Senate on Monday approved a compromise that would end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, breaking a weeks-long stalemate that has disrupted food benefits for millions, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid and snarled air traffic.

U.S. and Switzerland working on a deal to slash 39% tariffs

The U.S. and Switzerland are getting close to signing a trade deal to lower tariffs of 39% that President Donald Trump slapped on the country in August.

Senators take first step to end US government shutdown

The US Senate took the first step to ending the longest shutdown in history on Sunday night, after a group of Democratic lawmakers crossed party lines and endorsed a compromise plan to reopen the government.

China suspends some critical mineral export curbs to the U.S. as trade truce takes hold

China has rolled back a number of restrictions on its export of critical minerals and rare earth materials to the United States, in a sign that a trade truce between the world’s two largest economies is holding.

U.S. and Australia sign critical minerals agreement with $8.5 billion project pipeline

President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday signed an agreement on critical minerals and rare earths that Albanese said includes plans for projects worth a total of up to $8.5 billion.

Trump says Modi assured him India will stop buying Russian oil

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, and Trump said he would next try to get China to do the same as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues.

China is making it harder to get rare earth magnet export licenses, sources say

Chinese rare earth magnet companies have been facing tighter scrutiny on export license applications since September, sources say, even before Beijing’s move last week to expand controls over the critical minerals used in magnets.

Trump imposing new 25% large truck tariff starting Nov. 1

President Donald Trump said Monday that all medium- and heavy-duty trucks imported into the United States will face a 25% tariff rate starting November 1, a significant escalation of his effort to protect U.S. companies from foreign competition.

EU backs Italy in Trump’s pasta tariff war

The European Commission has pledged to support Rome after the US threatened Barilla and other Italian pasta makers with tariffs of up to 92 per cent over what Washington describes as dumping practices.

Taiwan will not agree to 50-50 chip production deal with US, negotiator says

Taiwan will not agree to a deal with the United States for half of all semiconductor production to take place in the country, the island’s top tariff negotiator said on Wednesday after returning home.

Private payrolls declined in September by 32,000 in key ADP report coming amid shutdown data blackout

Private payrolls saw their biggest decline in two-and-a-half years during September, a further sign of labor market weakening that compounds the data blackout accompanying the U.S. government shutdown.

Mortgage refinance demand plunges 21%, as interest rates hit 3-week high

A brief roller coaster ride for mortgage rates caused yet another swing in demand. After dropping to a three-year low two weeks ago, rates then shot right back up again.

US government shutdown begins as partisan division rules Washington

The U.S. government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday as deep partisan divisions prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal, setting off what could be a long, grueling standoff that could lead to the loss of thousands of federal jobs.

EU to cut steel import quotas, hike tariffs to 50%

The European Commission will propose cutting steel import quotas by nearly half and hiking duties on volumes above those levels to 50% in line with tariffs imposed by the U.S. and Canada, two sources briefed on details told Reuters on Wednesday.

Trump sets 10% tariff on lumber imports, 25% on cabinets and furniture

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was slapping 10% tariffs on imported timber and lumber and 25% duties on kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and upholstered furniture, continuing his tariff assault on global trading partners.

Core inflation rate held at 2.9% in August, as expected, Fed’s gauge shows

Core inflation was little changed in August, according to the Federal Reserve’s primary forecasting tool, likely keeping the central bank on pace for interest rate reductions ahead.

Trump slaps new US tariffs on drugs, trucks and furniture

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled sweeping new import tariffs, including 100% duties on branded drugs and 25% levies on heavy-duty trucks, set to come into force next week.

U.S. and global growth forecast lifted by OECD as economies surprise to the upside

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development upgraded its global economic growth forecast on Tuesday, with many economies appearing more resilient than expected so far this year.