An import tax on goods crossing the Mexico-U.S. border would make American brand cars more expensive than some foreign brand cars, and it would take years before domestic factories could make American brand cars more cost-efficient. President Donald Trump floated the idea of a 20% tax on goods imported from […]
The U.S. trade deficit in January widened to its highest level since March 2012 – unwelcome news for the Trump administration, which recently decried deficits as potential threats to national security. January’s trade deficit was 9.6 percent higher than in December, as the gap between imports and exports grew to […]
Personal income increased in January but the gains were eaten up by rising prices. Personal income rose 0.4%, exceeding a 0.3% expectation. Consumer spending figures also rose by 0.2% — but a sharp disappointment compared to the previous month’s 0.5% growth. With rising prices, however, the real value after inflation […]
Consumers cast a strong vote of confidence in the Trump administration as they pushed housing prices up with prospects of a growing economy. The Case Shiller National Home Price index, released on February 28, reported a 5.8 percent annual gain from November, faster than last month’s robust gain. Prices increased […]
The first durable good orders report for 2017 showed an overall increase, but the uptick is largely due to large commercial and military aircraft orders and increased consumer spending. Durable goods are products intended to last at least three years. Of these goods, ransportation and defense goods are the most […]
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed slightly in December as exports outpaced imports, a welcome development for President Donald Trump as he sets out to shrink the gaps with America’s trading partners. The trade deficit for December was $44.3 billion. U.S. goods and services sold abroad in December surpassed imports by […]