Fed Decision: Powell Downplays Growing Risks, Sees Tariff Impact as Transitory

For weeks the US economic picture has been darkening. If Wednesday was an opportunity for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to raise the alarm, he took a hard pass.

Speaking to reporters following a two-day meeting of policymakers, Powell downplayed mounting growth concerns and the price hits that could be on the way from President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade war. He even revived a once-abandoned term to say the inflationary impact of tariffs is likely to be transitory.