U.S. Economic News
September 5, 2018
U.S. Economic Indicators
The U.S. trade deficit jumped from $45.7 billion in June (revised) to $50.1 billion in July. The goods deficit rose $4.2 billion while the services surplus edged down $0.1 billion. Census Bureau Report
U.S. News
he Wall Street Journal reports that St. Louis Fed President James Bullard has called for a pause in Fed rate hikes. Bullard says that the Fed should hold off on rate hikes until more economic data come in, and also pointed to the flattening yield curve as evidence that raising federal interest rates further could push the economy toward a recession. WSJ
According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. and Canada will resume trade talks today in an effort to reach a new NAFTA deal. The tense talks come as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that no NAFTA deal is better for Canada than a bad NAFTA deal, and that there are key provisions, including a dispute-resolution system, that must be included in any new deal. WSJ