U.S. economy

Liberation Day triggers panic mode for manufacturers

Despite solid fundamentals, sentiment in the U.S. manufacturing sector has mostly been informed by buzzy anxieties over economic growth.

Take durable goods, for example: After a surprising beat on new orders in January, analysts expected a correction in February. Instead, new orders for durable goods grew 0.9% month over month (m/m) against consensus expectations of a 1% m/m drop, while January’s growth was revised up to 3.3% m/m.

SONAR: U.S. core durable goods orders, in millions USD (white,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/liberation-day-triggers-panic-mode-for-manufacturers

Industrial outlook darkens ahead of tariffs

In the run-up to Tuesday’s promised barrage of tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, the U.S. industrial sector is not looking so hot — a dark omen for domestic freight demand.

Unstable foundations for housing

For one, construction spending took an unexpected hit in January, down 0.2% from December against consensus expectations of stability. Outlays for private residential projects fell 0.4%, despite a 0.6% monthly rise in single-family spending.

SONAR: Total U.S. construction spending, in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/industrial-outlook-darkens-ahead-of-tariffs

Can the US consumer survive a trade war?

Reading the latest headlines, one might expect the U.S. economy to be barrelling into a recession or even depression. The chaotic uncertainty of President Donald Trump’s trade approach — what his supporters might call “the art of the deal” — has given businesses whiplash and set many markets to panicking.

But should consumers be afraid?

No, probably not. If they were able to keep pace with the incredible inflation of the early pandemic, consumers should be able to weather any storm kicked up by...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/can-the-us-consumer-survive-a-trade-war

¿Puede el consumidor estadounidense sobrevivir a una guerra comercial?

Al leer los últimos titulares, uno podría esperar que la economía estadounidense se acerque a una recesión o incluso depresión. La incertidumbre caótica del enfoque comercial del presidente Donald Trump, lo que sus partidarios podrían llamar «el arte del acuerdo», le ha dado a las empresas un...

https://fullavantenews.com/puede-el-consumidor-estadounidense-sobrevivir-a-una-guerra-comercial/?lang=es

Automakers taken for a spin following tariff announcements

The U.S. automotive industry is bracing for a massive shake-up after President Donald Trump announced a round of tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China.

Initially set to take effect on Tuesday, the new measures impose a 25% duty on goods from Canada and Mexico, in addition to raising tariffs on Chinese imports by 10%. The tariffs were justified by Trump as a response to concerns over these countries’ roles in fentanyl trafficking, illegal immigration and trade imbalances.

Following a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/automakers-taken-for-a-spin-following-tariff-announcements

Energy markets panic over tariffs, but then relax

Energy markets on Monday at least partly shrugged off the potential impact on prices of new U.S. tariffs. 

Most of the tariffs are set to take effect on Tuesday, though Trump extended the deadline for Mexico by one month after its president pledged to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Refiners balk at higher costs

In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) — a domestic benchmark — crude futures surged by $2.65 per barrel, outpacing...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/energy-markets-panic-over-tariffs-but-then-relax

Truckers don’t need to worry about the economy

In perhaps the least surprising conference over the past several months, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced that the Fed was leaving its target interest rates untouched for now.

SONAR: Effective federal funds rate (white).
To learn more about FreightWaves SONAR, click here.

At last Wednesday’s press conference, Powell reiterated the Fed’s commitment to make data-driven decisions in accordance with its “dual mandate,” which is to stabilize prices and secure maximum employment. 

One of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truckers-dont-need-to-worry-about-the-economy

Los temores de inflación y los precios de la vivienda asustan a los consumidores

A diferencia de El optimismo cauteloso de los fabricantesla ansiedad económica está en aumento entre los consumidores por primera vez en seis meses. El índice de sentimientos de consumo de la Universidad de Michigan cayó a 71.1 en enero, por debajo de las expectativas de ambos analistas de 73.2 y...

https://fullavantenews.com/los-temores-de-inflacion-y-los-precios-de-la-vivienda-asustan-a-los-consumidores/?lang=es

Inflation fears, housing prices startle consumers

Unlike manufacturers’ cautious optimism, economic anxiety is on the rise among consumers for the first time in six months. 

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index fell to 71.1 in January, below both analysts’ expectations of 73.2 and the previous month’s reading of 74.

There’s no cost like home

January’s decline is largely attributable to concerns about the return of inflation — specifically, beliefs about the potential threat of tariff-induced price increases.

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https://www.freightwaves.com/news/inflation-fears-housing-prices-startle-consumers

Crosswinds lash US industrial economy

Industrial production in the United States ended 2024 on a hopeful note, surpassing economists’ expectations and suggesting that the manufacturing sector is stabilizing after two years of decline.

In December, industrial output rose by 0.9% — the largest monthly increase since last February — bolstered by an uptick in factory activity and the resolution of a prolonged strike at Boeing. This uptick not only exceeded forecasts but marked a significant rebound in manufacturing, which had previously...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/crosswinds-lash-u-s-industrial-economy

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