The US dollar index fluctuated around 98.4 on Friday (December 19) and is expected to close the week relatively unchanged. Investors are still weighing the chances of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next year, as inflation continues to decline and signs of weakness in the US labor market emerge. The latest inflation data indicates price pressures are easing. The November CPI report showed headline inflation fell to 2.7%, the lowest since July and below market expectations. Core inflation also weakened to 2.6%, the slowest pace since early 2021. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose to...
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US and China are "very close" to extending their trade truce, which has curbed tariff escalation and eased restrictions on rare earth metals and technology exports. Trump added that he would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping before the end of the year if a deal is reached. The current truce is set to expire on August 12. Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held talks in Stockholm, the third round in less than three months. Without a deal, global supply chains are likely to face renewed...
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Scott Bessent has declined consideration for Federal Reserve Chair while praising "both Kevins" - Kevin Warsh and Kevin Hassett - as "very good" candidates for the position. Speaking on CNBC, Trump reiterated his criticism that current Fed Chair Jerome Powell has been "too late to cut rates" and mentioned he has "two other people aside from the two Kevins in mind" for the position. The president warned he would impose a 35% tariff on European Union goods if the bloc "doesn't meet obligations" following recent trade deals with the EU and...
The ISM Services PMI unexpectedly fell to 50.1 in July 2025 from 50.8 in June, below forecasts of 51.5. The reading showed the services sector nearly stagnated, with seasonal and weather factors having a negative impact on business. A slowdown was seen for business activity/production (52.6 vs 54.2), new orders (50.3 vs 51.3) and inventories (51.8 vs 52.7). Also, price pressures intensified to the highest since October 2022 (69.9 vs 67.5), with the most common topic among survey panelists remaining tariff-related impacts, particularly in commodities. In addition, employment fell faster...
President Donald Trump said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told him he did not want to be nominated to replace Jerome Powell as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. "I asked him just last night, is this something you want? Nope, I want to stay where I am," Trump said Tuesday in an interview with CNBC. "He's doing a great job, and he wants to do what he's doing, so I just take him off. He does not want it," Trump continued. "He likes being Treasury secretary. He's doing a really good job." Trump said he was considering four candidates — including former...
Russia accused the United States on Tuesday of exerting illegal trade pressure on India after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened again to raise tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil. "We hear many statements that are in fact threats, attempts to force countries to cut trade relations with Russia. We do not consider such statements to be legal," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "We believe that sovereign countries should have and do have the right to choose their own trading partners, partners for trade and economic cooperation, and to choose for themselves...
The 15% tariff that European Union goods face when entering the United States is all-inclusive, unlike the deals some other countries have struck with Washington, a senior EU official said on Tuesday. The tariff framework will apply broadly to EU exports, except for steel and aluminium, the official said. The 15% rate will also apply to cars and car parts, with no quotas or limits, he added. "What we have obtained in our deal is the best available treatment," the EU official told reporters, while adding that the 27-nation bloc was not celebrating the 15% rate, but that it considered it was...
U.S. President Donald Trump again threatened on Monday to raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases, while New Delhi called his attack "unjustified" and vowed to protect its economic interests, deepening the trade rift between the two countries. In a social media post, Trump wrote, "India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine." "Because of this, I will be substantially raising...
US President Donald Trump renewed his threat on Monday to raise tariffs on Indian goods over its purchase of Russian oil. Meanwhile, New Delhi called Trump's attack "unprovoked" and vowed to protect its economic interests, deepening a trade rift between the two countries. In a social media post, Trump wrote, "Not only does India buy large quantities of Russian oil, but they also sell most of that purchased oil on the open market for huge profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are killed by the Russian war machine." "Therefore, I will substantially increase the tariffs India...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....