U.S. Economic News
April 26, 2018
U.S. Economic Indicators
New orders of manufactured durable goods rose 2.6% in March after rising 3.5% (revised) in February, and are up 8.7% year-over-year. Excluding transportation, new orders were unchanged (up 7.2% Y/Y). Census Bureau Report
The U.S. Census Bureau Advance Economic Indicators Report shows that the goods deficit narrowed to $68.0 billion in March from $75.9 billion in February. Meanwhile, wholesale inventories rose 0.5% and retail inventories fell 0.4%. Census Bureau Report
Initial jobless claims fell 24,000 to 209,000 last week. The four-week moving average decreased 2,250 to 229,250. DOL Report
U.S. News
The Wall Street Journal reports that recent Chinese tariffs on American goods threaten a number of American industries, including ginseng producers. While ginseng does not account for a large share of U.S. exports to China, it represents a symbolic target for Chinese retaliation, as ginseng is largely produced in states that supported President Trump during the 2016 election. WSJ