The US Federal Reserve held its third meeting of 2025 from Tuesday (May 6) to Wednesday (May 7) against a backdrop of trade tensions, spurred on by the Trump administration’s tariffs.
The central bank met analysts’ expectations by holding its benchmark rate in the 4.25 to 4.5 percent range.
Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed’s dual mandate of maximum employment and stable pricing remains in balance, and noted that the US economy is solid. However, he also said that risks have risen and that there has been a sharp decline in consumer and expert sentiment due to the ongoing tariff situation.
The US has placed tariffs on key trading partners Canada, Mexico and the EU. It has also implemented 145 percent tariffs on China, while planning port fees of up to US$3 million per US port call for all Chinese-built ships.
Tariffs are already beginning to dramatically reduce imports into the US.
Activity at the Port of Los Angeles has fallen by 44 percent this week compared to last year. The Port of Seattle has also seen a 40 percent reduction, leading to warnings of empty store shelves and job losses.
The story was different in Q1 — Powell noted that imports spiked during the period as businesses attempted to make moves ahead of tariffs. That had an impact on GDP, which contracted by 0.3 percent in the first quarter.
Powell suggested tariff announcements have been larger than anticipated, also noting that uncertainty is elevated and that downside risks have risen, but have not materialized. Ultimately, this uncertainty led the FOMC to unanimously vote to leave rates at the current level while waiting for more clarity from future data.
“The labor market is solid, inflation is low — we can afford to be patient as things unfold. There is no real cost to our waiting at this point,” Powell said. The Fed’s next meeting is scheduled for June 17 to 18.
Following the Fed’s announcement, the gold price fell from session highs in the US$3,400 per ounce range to reach US$3,371.86. The silver price declined for most of the morning, trading at US$32.28 per ounce at 3:30 PM EST.
The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) was flat, recording a 0.17 percent decline to 5,599. The Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) fell 0.2 percent to 19,751, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) rose 0.32 percent to 41,950.
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.