The world economy was already grappling with a perplexing assortment of variables, from geopolitical conflicts and a slowdown in China to the evolving complexities of climate change. Then, President Trump unleashed a plan to uproot decades of trade policy. In starting a process to impose so-called reciprocal tariffs on American trading partners, Mr. Trump increased … Read more
It is an axiom heard countless times in business school lecture halls and on corporate earnings calls: Uncertainty is bad for business. The U.S. economy is about to test that proposition like never before. The first weeks of the second Trump administration have been a dizzying whirlwind of economic policy moves: A spending freeze was … Read more
President Trump on Thursday ordered his advisers to determine new tariff rates on America’s trading partners, a move that he said would “correct longstanding imbalances in international trade.” As part of his plan, Mr. Trump has taken aim at the value-added tax, a system used widely in Europe and elsewhere to tax the consumption of … Read more
President Trump’s tariffs target countries that are major suppliers of a wide range of goods to the United States. For American families, the likely result is higher prices nearly everywhere they turn — in grocery aisles, at car dealerships, at electronics stores and at the pump. Mr. Trump on Saturday signed executive orders imposing tariffs … Read more
Europe, you’re next. That’s the latest message from President Trump, who has repeatedly said in recent days that he would slap punitive tariffs on the 27 members of the European Union. Tariffs “will definitely happen with the European Union,” Mr. Trump told the BBC Sunday evening, and they are coming “pretty soon.” He doubled down … Read more
The people running CRG Automation are not openly rooting for global economic chaos, but they concede that they are in a perfect position to profit from it. The more that international trade is challenged by uncertainty — like President Trump’s threatened tariffs, or conflicts and crises that impede shipping — the greater the pressure on … Read more
The Labor Department’s latest monthly report on hiring and unemployment will include revisions for previous months that should give a more accurate picture of the U.S. job market — but that could also sow confusion. When the data is released on Friday, one major measure of employment will be revised up. Another will be revised … Read more
Can a labor market be hot and cool at the same time? That’s the picture painted by the latest federal hiring figures, which show a step down in job creation last month — as well as a drop in joblessness. Employers added 143,000 jobs in January, slightly fewer than expected, the Labor Department reported on … Read more
The Labor Department’s latest monthly report on hiring and unemployment will include revisions for previous months. The revised figures should provide a more accurate picture of the U.S. job market, but they could also sow confusion. The monthly job figures are based on two surveys, one of employers and one of households. Those surveys are … Read more
America has seen this movie before: President Trump, who imposed stiff tariffs on Monday on imported steel and aluminum, did so once before, in 2018. So domestic industries have a pretty good idea of how the story ends. Manufacturers of trucks, appliances and construction equipment scramble to find U.S. sources of metal inputs, keeping steel … Read more