(Washington) The managers of the American Federal Reserve (Fed) began their fifth meeting on Tuesday since the return to power of Donald Trump, after which a maintenance of interest rates at their current level is once again expected.
The meeting of the Fed (FOMC) monetary policy committee, which will end on Wednesday, “started at 9 a.m. as expected,” said a spokesperson for the press.
The conclusion of the meeting should once again annoy the American president.
Donald Trump has been using various means of pressure for weeks (insults addressed to the president of the Fed Jerome Powell, threatens to eject him before the end of his mandate, a surprise visit to the renovation site of the institution’s headquarters in Washington …) in the hope of seeing the key rates decrease more quickly.
The federal reserve has not touched its rates – which guide the cost of credit for individuals and businesses – from its December meeting. Donald Trump was invested for a second term in January.
The rates therefore remained within a range between 4.25 % and 4.50 %. The head of state claims that they should be three percentage points lower, around 1 %.
Finance players consider extremely unlikely that the Fed will lower its interest rates (generally a quarter of a point at a time) before its next meeting in September.
If the status quo is little doubt, investors will monitor if it has been decided unanimously.
So far, the Fed has deemed preferable, without dissension, to maintain its interest rates as it is, the time to assess the repercussions on the economy of the policies implemented by Donald Trump, in particular the net rejoir of customs duties on the products entering the United States.
But two of the twelve officials voted on monetary policy-Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman-said they were inclined to lower the rates this month.
The Fed will publish its decision on Wednesday at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at 2 p.m. and Jerome Powell will hold a press conference 30 minutes later.
