Trump's Tariffs, Fed Rate Decisions, And America's Debt Crisis: This Week In Economics

As we wrap up another eventful week, the headlines were dominated by President Donald Trump‘s tariff decisions, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate moves, and billionaire investor Ray Dalio‘s take on America’s debt crisis. Let’s dive into the top stories that shaped the market landscape.

Trump Imposes 25% Tariffs on Canada, Mexico – The week kicked off with President Trump confirming the imposition of 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico starting February 1. The move is a response to concerns over illegal immigration, trade deficits, and fentanyl trafficking from both countries. The U.S. imported $429.6 billion in goods from Canada and $480 billion from Mexico in 2023, making Mexico the largest U.S. trading partner in terms of imports. Read the full article here.

Trump’s Potential Tariffs on Colombia Stir Inflation Worries – President Trump’s announcement of potential 50% tariffs on Colombian imports has sparked fresh inflation concerns. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the proposed tariffs, arguing they would exacerbate inflation for working-class Americans. The tariff threat came after Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro denied entry to two U.S. repatriation flights carrying Colombian migrants. Read the full article here.

Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady – The Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates unchanged at its Wednesday meeting, ending a streak of three consecutive rate cuts that began in September. The federal funds rate remains in a target range of 4.25% to 4.5%. Read the full article here.

Trump Criticizes Fed’s Handling of Inflation – Following the Fed’s decision to hold interest rates steady, President Trump criticized the Federal Reserve's handling of inflation and banking regulation. Trump pledged to combat inflation through expanded energy production and regulatory cuts if elected. Read the full article here.

Ray Dalio Proposes ‘3% Solution’ to Tackle America’s Debt Crisis – Billionaire investor Ray Dalio called for urgent measures to address the mounting U.S. federal debt crisis. He proposed reducing the deficit to 3% of gross domestic product from its current level of nearly 7%. The U.S. federal debt has surged to $36.4 trillion against a GDP of $29.1 trillion. Read the full article here.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Navdeep Yadav.