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The U.S. Dollar Slips as Economic Uncertainty Rises

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This recent decline reflects growing investor unease about where the Federal Reserve is headed next—and whether its current strategy is sustainable amid shifting economic signals.

Since the beginning of 2025, the Federal Reserve has kept its benchmark interest rate in the range of 4.25% to 4.50%. This high rate is part of its effort to curb inflation, which has lingered above the Fed’s 2% target. By raising borrowing costs, the Fed aims to reduce consumer spending and bring inflation under control. However, signs of an economic slowdown are becoming harder to ignore.

Despite these warning signs, markets are not expecting the Fed to lower rates at this week’s policy meeting. According to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, investors assign only a 1-in-3 chance of a rate cut at the central bank’s next major session in June, underscoring the uncertainty now clouding the Fed’s decision-making process—and the dollar’s path forward.

Adding to the volatility is the return of trade tensions. In early April, President Donald Trump announced sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs aimed at U.S. trading partners. While these new tariffs have not yet been implemented, their announcement alone has already disrupted financial markets and sparked anxiety among investors and policymakers.

Economists warn that even if these tariffs are watered down before implementation, they could still dampen economic growth and drive inflation higher. This would complicate the Fed’s job even further, as it tries to balance controlling inflation with keeping the economy from slipping into recession.

These developments are particularly concerning because they come at a time when the U.S. economy was already expected to slow after its post-pandemic recovery phase. Sluggish growth, when combined with higher import costs due to tariffs, could present a dual challenge: weakening demand while pushing prices up.

One of the key reasons behind the dollar’s current weakness is the growing divide between hard and soft economic data—a disconnect that has investors, analysts, and central bankers scratching their heads.

Hard data consists of concrete figures such as GDP growth, unemployment rates, manufacturing output, and retail sales. These indicators reflect past performance, showing us what has already occurred in the economy. So far, this data continues to show a reasonably strong economy. Job creation is steady, consumer spending is relatively resilient, and industrial activity hasn’t yet declined sharply.

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