Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Federal Reserve keeps rates steady, defies pressure from Trump
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, defying President Trump's demands to lower rates to ease the economy's transition under his aggressive trade agenda. Published May 7, 2025
Treasury secretary, U.S. trade rep to talk trade with Chinese in Switzerland
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet this weekend with their Chinese counterparts in Switzerland, a sign of a potential thaw in the debilitating trade war between Washington and Beijing. Published May 7, 2025
Trump strikes defiant tone on trade talks: ‘We don’t have to sign deals’
President Trump on Tuesday said the onus is on other countries to strike trade pacts with the U.S. and not the other way around, pushing back against anxious investors and others who've grown impatient for deals. Published May 6, 2025
Trump signals he will press Canadian leader on trade deficit
President Trump teed up a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday by saying he plans to press his northern neighbor on why the U.S. has a big trade deficit with Canada and supplies benefits such as military protection. Published May 6, 2025
Bessent: Trade deals could be done this week but no formal talks yet with China
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said trade negotiations with 17 of America's 18 largest trading partners are proceeding well and could result in formal deals before the weekend. Published May 6, 2025
Trump’s economy is one big power play, not just the pieces, Bessent says urging investor patience
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told investors Monday that President Trump's economic agenda is "more than the sum of its parts," pointing to deregulation and tax cuts as companions to the White House tariff plan that is making Wall Street anxious. Published May 5, 2025
Wall Street slumps over Trump’s latest tariff threat on films
President Trump's proposal to slap a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the U.S. reverberated across Wall Street markets Monday. Published May 5, 2025
Trump rejects China’s request for a tariff pause as a prerequisite for trade talks
President Trump says he will not drop the tariffs he has imposed on China to jump-start trade negotiations. Published May 4, 2025
China signals it is open to trade talks, demands ‘sincerity’
Markets are cheering a possible thaw in the U.S.-China trade war as Beijing signals it is open to talks with the American side. Published May 2, 2025
U.S. added 177K jobs in April; strong report buoys markets
The U.S. added 177,000 in April and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2%, the government said in a stronger-than-expected report. Published May 2, 2025
GM says tariffs will cost it up to $5B, but car buyers won’t see big price changes
Major automakers tabulated the cost of tariffs and announced moves to increase U.S. production of certain vehicles Thursday, underscoring the market-moving power of President Trump's trade actions. Published May 1, 2025
U.S. Chamber of Commerce begs Trump for tariff relief for small businesses
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce pleaded with President Trump on Thursday to grant tariff relief to small businesses and help "stave off a recession." Published May 1, 2025
Bipartisan Senate effort to nullify Trump tariff powers narrowly defeated by GOP leaders
The Senate GOP on Wednesday narrowly defeated a bipartisan effort to nullify the national emergency that President Trump used to justify his across-the-board tariffs, helped in part by senators' absences from the vote. Published April 30, 2025
As Trump’s aggressive trade agenda exasperates Wall Street, dip in GDP fuels recession fears
The U.S. economy shrank in the first quarter, a sobering reality check for President Trump after he celebrated big wins during his first 100 days back in the White House. Published April 30, 2025
Economy contracted in first quarter, fueling recession concerns
The U.S. economy shrank in the first quarter as companies stocked up on imports, a sign that President Trump's aggressive trade tactics are having an impact. Published April 30, 2025
Trump pumps the brakes on some auto tariffs
President Trump granted limited relief from his auto tariffs with an executive order Tuesday that keeps automakers from facing multiple forms of taxation under his system of levies. Published April 29, 2025
Amazon says it will not list tariff prices on its discount site
Online retailer Amazon says the low-cost arm of its web store considered putting tariff costs next to its prices, but the plan was not authorized and is "not going to happen." Published April 29, 2025
Bessent: Tariff revenue will provide income tax relief
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that revenue from President Trump's tariffs could be so great that it provides relief from federal income taxes. Published April 29, 2025
U.S. agriculture sector sees China orders dry up as trade war stagnates
China is a "threatened market" for U.S. farmers as the trade impasse between Beijing and Washington leads to canceled orders and a complex scramble to find new markets, a major trade group said Monday. Published April 28, 2025
Treasury Secretary Bessent says onus is on China to de-escalate trade war
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday it is "up to China" to de-escalate President Trump's trade war with Beijing, pointing to its export-heavy economy. Published April 28, 2025
