Commentary

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 7 hours ago

Weekly average occupancy rose 2.7 points from the previous week to 53.6%, according to the 10-city Back to Work Barometer. All 10 tracked cities experienced increases, led by Houston, up 5.8 points to 62.9%, and New York, up 5.5 points to 55%. Washington, D.C. reached its fifth new record high since the start of the year, rising 4.8 points to 54.2%. https://buff.ly/YAYu8BD

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 9 hours ago

The long-term impacts of a trade war are just starting. Container liners are starting to sever shipping routes that link the US and China across the Pacific because of Trump’s trade war. https://buff.ly/vNB0E5n

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 12 hours ago

China’s central bank will cut interest rates and inject more liquidity into the financial system in response to trade tensions with Washington. https://buff.ly/yWRjPXH

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 13 hours ago

Home sales were sluggish and homes lingered on the market last month as some buyers got cold feet, spooked by economic volatility and high mortgage rates. Even so, home prices continued to climb and, in some corners of the market, bidding wars broke out. https://buff.ly/kpiQLW3

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 14 hours ago

On the eve of the first round of US-China trade talks, Citigroup economists ventured to map out how de-escalation from steep tariff rates might unfold, saying that there’s a “shared incentive” to retreat from the current lose-lose situation. There are effectively three components of the US tariffs, Xiangrong Yu and Xinyu Ji wrote in a note Wednesday — the 20% rates tied to fentanyl concerns, the 34% “reciprocal” levy announced on April 2, and “escalatory” duties that added 125% after China’s retaliation. That’s all on top of a starting point of an effective 11% tariff as of last year, they wrote.

WWU Center for Economic and Business Research️ 1 day ago

US and China to launch formal trade talks. Washington dispatches Treasury secretary Scott Bessent to meet Chinese counterparts in Switzerland this weekend. https://buff.ly/iWQgCPm