
Trump says Fed should cut interest rate by a full point
The Federal Reserve kept rates at 4.25%-4.50% in May, signalling a possible pause while awaiting clarity on Donald Trump's tariffs. (Reuters pic)
WASHINGTON : The US Federal Reserve should cut interest rates by a full percentage point, President Donald Trump said on Friday as he reiterated his view that Fed Chair Jerome Powell has been too slow to lower borrowing costs.
'Europe has had 10 rate cuts, we have had none. Despite (Powell), our Country is doing great. Go for a full point,' Trump wrote in a social media post. Central banks typically limit rate moves to quarter point changes.
Trump said the Fed could always raise rates again if cuts led to inflation.
The president has repeatedly berated Powell for not cutting rates as he desires. The two men met face-to-face for the first time last week, with Trump telling Powell he was making a 'mistake' by not lowering rates.
The Fed in May left the policy rate in the 4.25%-4.50% range, where it has been since December, and policymakers have since signalled they may leave it there for another few months as they wait for more clarity on Trump's tariff policy.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BusinessToday
an hour ago
- BusinessToday
What's The Next Catalyst For Markets?
Global equities, as measured by the MSCI All Country World Index, reached a new record high this week, fully recovering losses incurred since President Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in early April. While trade tensions briefly resurfaced, concerns of an all-out trade war have abated following a crucial phone call between President Trump and China's President Xi, according to an editorial by Standard Chartered Bank. The market's attention is now turning to upcoming 'hard' economic data for May, specifically US non-farm payrolls and inflation figures. A softer US employment report combined with stable inflation could reignite expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut, potentially propelling US equities to further record highs. Trade Dynamics and the 'Trump Put' This week saw President Trump double US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50%, with the UK being the sole exemption after signing a preliminary trade pact. Despite facing court challenges and criticism for a perceived softening on trade, Trump may seek alternative legal avenues to impose targeted tariffs to encourage trade partners back to the negotiating table. However, Standard Chartered does not anticipate a full-blown trade war, especially after the Trump-Xi call aimed at resetting trade discussions. The bank noted that the 'Trump put' — the President's tendency to scale back aggressive trade stances when markets react negatively — remains in effect, citing his reversal of tariffs in April after a significant market downturn. Mixed US Economic Signals While trade tensions simmer, 'soft' US business confidence indicators, such as the ISM manufacturing PMI, remained in contractionary territory for May. The ISM service sector PMI, particularly its new orders component, turned contractionary for the first time in nearly a year, even as 'prices paid' continued to rise. In contrast, 'hard' real activity indicators have shown resilience, likely supporting household consumption. Timely job market data, like initial jobless claims, averaged around 235,000 in May, well below the 350,000 level that typically signals recessionary conditions. Fed Watch: Payrolls and Inflation Key The upcoming US employment and inflation reports for May are critical market drivers. Consensus estimates predict a slowdown in net job creation to 126,000 in May. A significant miss in the payrolls data, coupled with relatively stable core inflation (consensus at 2.9% year-on-year, 0.3% month-on-month), could increase the likelihood of the Fed resuming rate cuts from July, potentially pushing US equities to new peaks. Conversely, any tariff-driven surge in inflation would delay rate cuts, leading to a short-term consolidation in equity markets, though a significant pullback is not expected due to current bearish investor positioning in US equities. US Fiscal Policy and Global Currency Outlook The bank also highlights President Trump's proposed 'Big, beautiful bill' as a potential disruptor for bond markets if passed in its current form, given soaring deficit projections. However, Standard Chartered anticipates some tax incentive cutbacks, noting that elements like tax deductions on R&D, capex, and interest expenses could positively impact US earnings growth. In currency markets, Standard Chartered has turned bearish on EUR/JPY. Continued disinflation in the Euro area, exacerbated by US tariffs, raises the prospect of further ECB rate cuts in the second half of the year, following this week's 25 basis point reduction to 2.0%. Euro area core inflation recently hit a three-year low of 2.3%. Meanwhile, the Japanese Yen (JPY) is expected to appreciate amid global growth uncertainty, with the Bank of Japan likely to hike rates further as inflation consistently exceeds its 2% target. Related


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Vietnam's trade surplus with US surges, complicating tariff talks
Sales staff work at an Apple shop in Hanoi, Vietnam Thursday, April 10, 2025. Vietnam is home to large manufacturing operations of US multinationals such as Apple, Intel and Nike. - AP HANOI: Vietnam's trade surplus with the US expanded sharply in May as exports swelled and its imports from China also jumped, exacerbating sore points with Washington that could hurt Hanoi's efforts to avoid crippling tariffs. Separate trade data from the US also showed Vietnam's surplus overtook Mexico's in April, lagging only China and the European Union. US President Donald Trump has vowed to bring down the US trade deficit and the South-East Asian country faces one of his highest "reciprocal" tariffs at 46 per cent if a deal cannot be negotiated before a pause on the levies ends in early July. Despite Hanoi's efforts and pledges to meet Washington's demands, the surplus keeps growing, particularly as exporters rush to get their goods to the US before the tariffs go into effect. The new figures "may put some clouds in the sky of these negotiations and put pressure on Vietnam to make additional concessions to reach an agreement," said Leif Schneider, vice chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam's legal sector committee. The surplus with the United States surged to US$12.2 billion in May, up nearly 42 per cent from a year earlier and 17 per cent higher than April, Vietnamese government data showed on Friday. Exports to the US also climbed roughly 42 per cent from a year earlier to a post-pandemic high of US$13.8 billion. That stands in contrast to signs that other countries are reining in their exports to the United States with the US trade deficit narrowing sharply in April. Schneider noted that while Vietnam's spike in exports was largely due to front-loading ahead of possible tariffs, and represents a short-term inflation of the surplus, Vietnam is in a particularly hard spot because of its limited imports from the United States. In the first five months of the year, the surplus hit nearly US$50 billion, up 28.5 per cent and putting Vietnam on track to exceed last year's record surplus. The country's imports from China also posted a post-pandemic record of US$16.2 billion in May, up 21 per cent from a year earlier. Vietnam is home to large manufacturing operations of US multinationals such as Apple, Intel and Nike, and it also hosts numerous Chinese companies, often suppliers to US firms. US officials have repeatedly accused Vietnam of being used as a waypoint for Chinese goods destined for the United States. They allege that some goods have "Made in Vietnam" labels despite having received no or insufficient added value in the country - allowing Chinese exporters to avoid high US duties on their goods. The US has sent a "long" list of "tough" requests to Vietnam in its tariff negotiations, including demands that could force the country to cut its reliance on Chinese industrial goods imports, two people briefed about the matter have said. Under US pressure, Hanoi has launched a crackdown on illegal transshipments of goods, mostly from China. It has also repeatedly shown its willingness to reduce non-tariff barriers and to import more US goods, including US planes, farm products and energy, although no purchase contracts have been announced yet. Vietnam's overall trade figures with the world showed exports in May rose 17 per cent from a year earlier to US$39.6 billion, while imports were up 14 per cent at US$39 billion. Separate government data also out on Friday showed industrial production in May shot up 9.4 per cent from a year earlier, while consumer prices rose 3.24 per cent and retail sales were up 10.2 per cent. Foreign investment inflows for January-May climbed 7.9 per cent to US$8.9 billion. Foreign investment pledges over the period soared 51.2 per cent to US$18.4 billion. - Reuters


Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Current Affairs, Business, Economy, Lifestyle, News and Analysis
The thrust of the Trump Doctrine is not to allow anti-democratic behaviour to get in the way of doing business.