Many people say that the Federal Reserve will not cut interest rates in September, so let me share my thoughts.
In the past, if someone said that the Federal Reserve would be pressured by Trump to cut interest rates, I would definitely disagree. After all, the Federal Reserve has to be responsible for the dollar, which is its 'foundation.' The primary task of the central bank is to stabilize the value of the currency; this is the bottom line. Now, apart from Japan, almost all major currency issuing countries are cutting interest rates, and the Eurozone has cut several hundred basis points, with the interest rate differential with the dollar reaching 200 basis points.
Looking solely at the market situation, as long as CPI does not rise above 3%, and the real interest rate remains between 1% and 2% (this situation has lasted quite a while), it can be said that the Federal Reserve might cut rates early like the Eurozone. But don’t forget Trump’s tariff policy and those stimulus measures, such as greatly increasing the fiscal deficit. The revenue from tariffs is not enough to cover about 20% of the interest in fiscal spending, resulting in high tariffs but increasing debt. Therefore, the market has not cooled down because real interest rates are positive; instead, it has heated up again under stimulus policies.
However, the current market situation is relatively clear: the U.S. has reached a framework agreement with several major economies, and if tariffs can be reduced, the supply-side pressure will be less; we have also extended the temporary tariff agreement with our country. So as long as Trump does not create any major trouble before September, and the CPI in July and August can remain stable, close to market expectations or even lower, then the political environment for cutting interest rates will be in place.
Now the market supports cutting interest rates, and the policy level has also left room for it. So I previously felt that if Trump is not confused and wants the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates soon, the initiative is in his own hands—he should quickly implement agreements with major economies, reducing policy uncertainty. The Federal Reserve actually does not oppose cutting rates, and it might even cut more than expected.
In fact, after the July CPI data came out, a 25 basis point cut in September was basically set; now that the September PPI data has come out, which exceeded expectations, a 25 basis point cut in September is even more certain.