U.S. Economic News
July 18, 2017
U.S. Economic Indicators
The NAHB Housing Market Index fell 2.0 points to 64.0 in July, slightly below consensus. While the outlook for the coming months remains healthy, builder confidence weakened due to concerns over increasing prices for inputs such as lumber. NAHB Report
U.S. News
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Trump administration has released its blueprint for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”). The outline includes provisions to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico, as well as a proposal to prevent countries from manipulating their currencies for trade advantages. WSJ
According to the Washington Post, U.S. corporations are increasingly relocating their headquarters from traditional, suburban areas to metropolitan areas. The shift away from suburban areas has been driven in part by the desire of young corporate workers to live in downtown areas of large cities, which may prove problematic for the economies of the small towns that these corporations are leaving. WaPo
The New York Times reports that California is a prime example of the housing shortage gripping many areas of the nation. Factors such as restrictive zoning regulations, capped property taxes, and exceedingly high demand for new homes have come together to make housing increasingly unaffordable for many people. NYT