International taxes

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Federal Reserve Board should reject the renomination of any regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents who have not lived in their districts for three years, signaling a potential confrontation when reappointments come before the board in February.

The import taxes — initially set at 25% for cabinets, vanities and upholstered wooden furniture — officially took effect on Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. New York time.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said despite the near term cloudiness to economic projections, he does expect inflation to resume its downward trajectory next year and reach the Fed's 2% inflation target in the coming years.

Trump administration tariff policy led lumber futures prices to surge over the first half of 2025, but the front-loading of purchases led to a current glut.

Even with direct costs of import taxes excluded, prices for residential construction goods and services increased by the most in two years, NAHB said.

Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose to 3.1%, up from 2.9% in June.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said she foresees three interest rate cuts for this year, a view bolstered by the latest employment data.

President Trump's imposition of sweeping tariffs on more than 90 countries Thursday represents a major shift in the U.S. trade stance, but the impact on inflation, the Federal Reserve and the economy are still unclear.

More powerful storms and pricier building costs are behind the increases in premiums, said the report's authors.

The 35% levy on Canadian goods does not include any carve outs for lumber or building supplies, with their costs already rising, Cotality's Selma Hepp said.

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday imposing new tariff rates on trading partners that take effect Friday, the White House said. 

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said during his regular press conference Wednesday that the process of determining tariff-related price increases was always going to be slow, but it has taken longer than he expected.

The Federal Reserve's monetary policy committee is expected to leave interest rates unchanged again Wednesday amid reports of renewed economic growth in the second quarter and despite ramped up pressure from the White House to cut rates.

Steep trade barriers that were set to go into effect on July 9 have once again been put on pause, giving banks a welcome reprieve, but adding still more pressure and uncertainty on the Federal Reserve and the broader economy.

While more consumers expect purchase conditions to improve, potential job loss weighs on the mind of a growing number of likely homebuyers, Fannie Mae found.

Time is running out for the 90-day pause on most of President Trump's tariffs. But at least two bank CEOs are confident there won't be a summer sequel to "Liberation Day."

The Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation moved further from its 2% target, underscoring the central bank's reluctance to cut rates.

Consumer spending and exports fell slightly in the latest estimate, leading to a downward revision. Imports, which dragged down overall output during the first three months of the year, also came in smaller.

Financial markets were shaken but not stirred this past spring, according to the Federal Reserve, as swinging stock prices and bond yields did little to bring down elevated asset prices or leverage. 

The government measure of inflation for May ticked up modestly, adding to the signals that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to move on interest rates when it meets next month.