Fed Likely to Sidestep Trade War to Raise Rates on March 21

The trade war that could stem from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum is unlikely to affect GDP, freeing the Fed to raise rates at its March 21 meeting.

About the Presenter

Bluford “Blu” Putnam has served as Managing Director and Chief Economist of CME Group since May 2011. With more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry and concentrations in central banking, investment research, and portfolio management, Blu serves as CME Group’s spokesperson on global economic conditions.

View more reports from Blu Putnam, Managing Director and Chief Economist of CME Group.

Interest Rates

The meeting of the Federal Reserve's policy-making FOMC panel on March 20-21 is widely expected to raise interest rates for the first time in 2018, with a potential trade war stemming from U.S. import tariffs on steel and aluminum likely to be sidestepped by the central bank. Get the pulse of market expectations for Fed rate hikes through 2018 with the CME FedWatch tool.

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