Federal Reserve Maintains Policy Rate Amid Trade Concerns

According to Odaily, the Federal Reserve has tempered market expectations for imminent policy rate adjustments following its May meeting. The minutes from this meeting, set to be released at 2:00 UTC+8 on Thursday, may reveal the extent to which policymakers are committed to their current stance. Since the meeting, some key developments have overshadowed initial discussions. At the time, U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of significant tariffs in early April had sparked fears of a trade war impacting the global economy. Until the effects of global trade changes on the economy become clear, the Federal Reserve has little reason to alter the policy rate, which has been maintained at 4.25%-4.50% since December last year. Investors currently anticipate that the Federal Reserve will keep rates unchanged during the June and July meetings, with potential rate cuts of 25 basis points expected in September and December.