Jerome Powell on trade policy
From LIVE: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivers monetary policy testimony before Senate · · Daily Mail News
“I think the standard case for free trade and all that logically still makes sense. It didn't work that well when we have one very large country that doesn't really play by the rules and in any case it's not the Fed's job to make or comment on tariff policy. We really, that's for elected people and it's not for us to comment. Ours is to try to react to it in a thoughtful sensible way and make monetary policy so that we can achieve our mandate.”
On , Jerome Powell, Chair at Federal Reserve of the United States, spoke about trade policy during LIVE: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivers monetary policy testimony before Senate on Daily Mail News.
About Jerome Powell
Jerome Powell, the former chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, received the 2026 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in May 2026 at a ceremony in Boston. In his acceptance speech, Powell said the Federal Reserve had been undergoing a "stress test," and warned against political interference in monetary policy. He stated that the Fed makes its decisions based on economic analysis and does not "take into account the fortunes of any political party or politician in making those decisions." Powell argued that legal protections insulating the Fed from political pressure have served the public well, and said that "if any administration finds a way to remove Fed officials over policy differences, then future administrations will do so as well," adding that the Fed's credibility would be lost. Powell’s eight-year term as Fed chair ended on May 15, 2026. He announced during an April FOMC press conference that he would remain on the Board of Governors for an unspecified period, saying his decision was driven by concerns over "legal attacks on the Fed" by the administration. He stated he planned to keep "a low profile" and that Kevin Warsh, once confirmed and sworn in, would be the new chair. In his last FOMC press conference, the committee held interest rates steady, noting that inflation was elevated in part due to rising global energy prices and citing a high level of uncertainty in the economic outlook.