U.S. Economic News
August 17, 2018
U.S. Economic Indicators
The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index fell 2.6 points to 95.3 in the preliminary August reading, and is down 1.5 points on the year. The Index of Consumer Expectations was unchanged at 87.3, while the Current Economic Conditions Index dropped 6.6 points to 107.8. Report
U.S. News
The Wall Street Journal reports that trade tensions between the U.S. and China threaten to disrupt American liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) exports to China. If the U.S. and China are unable to come to an agreement that avoids tariffs on LNG, other exporters, such as Qatar and Australia, may claim more market share in China, which could lead to reduced investment in U.S. LNG infrastructure. WSJ
According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump says that he is in “no rush” to renegotiate NAFTA. The comment came as Mexican trade negotiators arrived in Washington to discuss new NAFTA rules for the auto industry and revised labor standards. WSJ