Fears President Donald Trump's trade wars will harm the economy are pervasive but for now America keeps chugging along with steady job creation and tame inflation, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday. Worries about the trade outlook are likely to weigh on the Fed's thinking later this month, when it is overwhelmingly expected to cut interest rates for the first time in a decade. "Economic activity continued to expand at a modest pace overall from mid-May through early July," the Fed said in its regular survey of business conditions across the country.
While the outlook for the coming months is "generally positive," the survey conducted in advance of the policy meeting found "widespread concerns" about possible harm caused by "trade-related uncertainty." Fed Chair Jerome Powell has cited a weakening global economy as an important reason some central bankers see a stronger case for easing monetary policy - even with unemployment near 50-year lows and Wall Street hovering at records.
Washington and Beijing have been working this month to jump-start negotiations that stalled in May but US officials warn progress to end the year-long battle with Beijing is not guaranteed. Flooded-out farms, also battered in the trade war, suffered declining output after unusually heavy rainfall and oil-and-gas production fell, according to the survey of business activity in the Fed's 12 regions.
Meanwhile, vehicle sales and home building were flat while transportation began to weaken in some areas. The exceptionally tight supply of workers has continued to drive up wages - with some business contacts forced to resort to "significant increases" for entry level workers. And some employers worried about their ability to secure visas for foreign-born employees, which also could hurt job growth.
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