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US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks to the media during a press conference at the Federal Reserve, in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.
A tale of two central banks
North of the border, though, the Bank of Canada went ahead with its sixth cut in a row, this one a modest 25 basis points, bringing its interest rate down to 3%. The bank noted an inflation rate of about 2%, a soft labor market, and an unemployment rate of 6.7% in December – and looked ahead to a potentially rocky 2025 for the country economically, even as it expects GDP growth to pick up this year. Maybe.
Immigration rates are slowing in Canada, and the threat of Trump tariffs could drive the country into a recession and send inflation soaring. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce warns that a 25% duty alongside retaliatory tariffs would cost Canada 2.6% of GDP per year – roughly CA$78 billion, while the US economy would take a 1.6% percent hit, coming in at US$467 billion.
Should that happen, the two central banks may quickly align themselves on the need for more, perhaps steeper, rate cuts.
Buildings seen from Lake Ontario along the skyline of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 01, 2023.
Bank of Canada slashes interest rate, warns of tariffs
The Bank of Canada cut interest rates by half a point to 3.25% on Wednesday to kickstart some growth in the Canadian economy. Gov. Tiff Macklem indicated that further cuts would be more gradual.
Macklem said the outlook for the Canadian economy was uncertain, in part because President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian imports.
“If those things happen, they will have a big impact on the Canadian economy and will dramatically impact our forecast,” he said. “Let’s hope that does not happen.”
Bank of Nova Scotia economist Derek Holtsaid the rate cut was so steep that it seemed “like an apology note” after slowing the economy with earlier inflation-fighting increases.
Canada's economy has been shrinking on a per capita basis for six quarters, with most growth associated by an immigration-driven population increase. Figures released last Friday showed the unemployment rate rose to 6.8%, up from 6.5%.
But Macklem said Canada is not in a recession: “We’ve not seen widespread lay-offs or widespread job losses typically seen in a recession.”
Justin Trudeau welcomed the rate cut, clearly hoping to avoid more economic bad news while his Conservative opponents prosecute him as a hapless economic leader.
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem takes part in a news conference, after cutting key interest rate, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada October 23, 2024.
Bank of Canada makes jumbo interest rate cut
The Bank of Canada cut interest rates by .50 basis points on Wednesday, the steepest reduction since March 2020. The “jumbo” cut brings the cost of borrowing down to 3.75%. Previously, the bank introduced .25 basis point cuts in June, July, and September.
With the cut, Canada has become the first G7 country to slash rates four times. Gov. Tiff Macklem cited a drop in inflation to near the bank’s 2% inflation target and a softer-than-ideal economy, including weak business hiring, for the cut. Inflation was 1.6% in September.
The bank also signaled there may be more cuts to come.
Last month, the US Federal Reserve made its own jumbo cut, lowering interest rates by half a point, a deeper cut than many expected – and its first in four years as inflation returns to pre-pandemic levels. Inflation stateside was 2.4% in September.
The Fed, like the Bank of Canada, makes its own monetary decisions, but the two watch one another’s moves. Federal Reserve officials are already talking about more cuts and will next meet on Nov. 6.
While we may not be returning to the years of ultra-cheap borrowing that followed the 2008 financial crisis, the Fed and Bank of Canada cuts suggest a return to pre-pandemic rates, which will be welcome news to consumers and anyone shopping for a mortgage.
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem takes part in a news conference, after cutting key interest rate, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada July 24, 2024.
The Bank of Canada cuts interest rates again. Will the Fed follow?
After becoming the first central bank in the G7 to cut interest rates back in June, the Bank of Canada lowered rates again on Wednesday, by 25 basis points to 4.5% — and suggested there may be more cuts to come.
In its decision, the bank noted that global growth is expected to proceed at around 3% and that inflation is expected to cool gradually. It also noted that in the US, where the economy has remained hot despite inflation, “the anticipated economic slowdown is materializing, with consumption growth moderating.” That’s sending US inflation — which hit its lowest point in 12 months in June — down as well.
According to a recent Reuters poll of economists, experts still expect two rate cuts — the current rate is 5.5% — by the Federal Reserve this year, with the first not coming before September. Those polled expect the Fed to leave rates unchanged at their meeting this month. But Fed officials have signaled that a rate cut is getting “closer.”
On Thursday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that US GDP grew by 2.8% in the second quarter this year driven by, among other things, higher consumer spending while inflation sits at around 3% — data which bolsters expectations that the Fed will wait until September for a rate cut.
The Bland Bombshell and the Big Banks
Is there anyone more bland, more powerful, and less recognizable than Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell? He makes money moves more than Cardi B, and yet most people wouldn’t recognize him if he were sitting on their lap in the subway.
Why do relatively obscure banker meetings matter? Fair question, and it’s precisely why our GZERO team in Washington, DC, is covering the IMF-World Bank spring meetings this week.
For Masters of Monetary Policy like Powell, being bland is a strategy, not a characteristic. They speak in a purposely arcane language that requires near Bletchley Park decoding powers because everything they say makes news that impacts markets. This, in turn, affects things like your mortgage, your investments, and your grocery bill. It also impacts global poverty, which ought to make a lot more news. So understandably, they have to be careful and neutral to avoid panics or bouts of enthusiasm and ensure their signals leave lots of room for interpretation. But don’t mistake bland for lack of consequence. In global banking, bland is the brand, but influence is the purpose.
What have you missed so far?
Powell had a major bland moment at the Wilson Center’s Washington Forum on the Canadian Economy, which coincides with the spring meetings, where he hinted he would delay dropping interest rates because US inflation is proving more stubborn than predicted. “The recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence and instead indicate that it’s likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence,” he said, as the finance world listened to him emphasize every SYL-la-ble.
Then, in case anyone missed it, he took out the verbal highlight pen. “We can maintain the current level of restriction for as long as needed.” Whoa. Treasury yields moved higher that very moment, and he wasn’t even done speaking. Translation for those not steeped in Bland Banker Speak: Interest rates are gonna stay higher for longer – at least until the inflation rate hits the target goal of 2%. Govern yourselves accordingly.
That news got a tiny corner of social media all ginned up, giving us the world’s first – and perhaps last – Federal Reserve Meme: Check out this AI-generated Jerome Powell hyped on rate cuts. Maybe Blands really do have more fun.
Meanwhile, Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem, who was on the same panel with Powell, hinted he might go in the other direction – and having had many conversations with him over the years, I can say that Macklem isn’t bland at all. Just last week, he held the key interest rate at 5% because inflation had centimetered up a titch, but he still suggested a rate drop was “within the realm of possibilities” as early as June.
What would that mean? For one, if Canada drops rates faster than the US Fed, the Canadian dollar would likely weaken considerably, so depending on which way you travel, things could get either a lot cheaper or more expensive.
In short, everything central bankers say makes a difference to millions of citizens, and still, most folks only pay scant attention to talk about inflation and interest rates close to home – not internalizing how much impact these decisions have on major issues like global poverty. For example, GZERO’s own Matthew Kendrick has been reporting from the spring meetings this week, covering the impact of inflation on the most vulnerable economies like Somalia and what is being done to help. You can read his surprising look at the Somali success story on debt reliefhere.
But if world bankers are all so smart, why are one in three countries worse off than in 2019? Why are so many falling back into poverty post-COVID? To find out, our Head of Content Tony Maciulis sat down with Ayhan Kose, the World Bank Group’s deputy chief economist, who told him, “When the food price goes up, the price of oil goes up. That has significant implications for these economies.” He also noted that some countries have experienced “the weakest growth rate on average since the 1990s.” What are the solutions? Watch Tony’s interview here.
News about IMF and World Bank financiers doesn’t often make the front page because it’s so complex, often depressing, and … well, kinda bland. There are other riveting events, like Donald Trump’s first criminal trial, the war in Ukraine, and Iran launching missiles at Israel to grab our attention, as they should.
But spare a moment for the folks who live in Blandlandia – those people at the IMF and World Bank spring meetings. They are participating in panels like “The Path for Taxing the Super-Rich – Towards a Progressive Global Taxation Agenda,” “Biden Pauses LNG; COP 28 Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Decision – Is World Bank Lagging on Fossil Fuels?” and even “The Polycrisis – How Unchecked Public Debt Fuels Corruption and Bad Governance.”
Beneath the bland, the story of our world unfolds. Since 1944, when both financial institutions were established, the World Bank itself has funded over 12,000 programs focused on economic development and reducing poverty. Has it worked? The record is mixed.
There have been big wins – like the reconstruction of Bosnia after the war, or working on debt relief programs, like Matt described in Somalia. But the World Bank also set a goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2023, and its leaders admit they are not even close.
Meanwhile, the IMF, whose mission is to “firefight” big, macro-economic emergencies, like a currency collapse, comes in for much harsher criticism. Its Structural Adjustment Programs – loans to low-income countries in distress – have been subjected to extensive research, often proving that they have kept people in countries like Zimbabwe or across Latin America in poverty while enriching investors. Are these Western-designed programs just a neo-liberal form of colonialism, as some suggest, or pragmatic ways to get countries onto the path of economic development? The debates are so divisive that China has moved into the space in countries that no longer trust the IMF, using its Belt and Road Initiative to invest in infrastructure and push its own influence. So, politics are driving this as well.
The IMF and World Bank may not always make things better, and there is even paranoia right now that Donald Trump, if he wins in November, might withdraw the US from the World Bank, which would devastate developing economies. Still, these two organizations are relevant and demand our attention.
At GZERO, we are committed to covering these topics and making them accessible and interesting. So please tell us what you think. If you have suggestions for things we ought to cover, or questions about events like the IMF-World Bank spring meetings, send us a note here, and we will post answers to some of your key questions next Thursday.
Thanks for your remarkable attention to all these matters, and now, let’s get at the rest of the news.
– Evan Solomon, Publisher
FILE PHOTO: Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem takes part in a news conference after announcing an interest rate decision in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 12, 2023.
No rate cut just yet
The Bank of Canada held interest rates steady at 5% for the fourth time in a row on Wednesday, signaling that cuts may be coming, as analysts expect, in the spring. The bank is now focused on “how long it needs to stay at the current level,” Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said.
In the United States, investors are waiting to see what the Fed does next week when policymakers meet. Some investors have warned that a hot stock market could cause the Federal Reserve to keep rates higher for longer than expected.
Both Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau will be hoping that inflation continues to slow, stabilizing consumer prices and allowing central bankers in both countries to stop restricting the supply of money before voters go to the polls again.
Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem walks outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario.
Know when to hold ‘em
As always, the bank said it may raise rates in the future if inflation picks up. But experts are warning that with mortgage renewals coming due for 74% of Canadian homeowners – roughly three million people – over the next year and a half, there will be a significant risk of default. Plus, the risk of a recession still looms. That may push the bank to consider a cut sooner rather than later. In September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau predicted rates would fall by mid-2024.
Economists in the United States are thinking roughly along the same lines as Trudeau – though they’re a bit less optimistic. As the Financial Times reports, its FT-Booth survey expects the Fed will hold rates at a two-decade high until “at least” July, possibly later. The US economy has remained strong, with GDP growth hitting an annualized 5.2% in the last quarter.
Observers are watching for signs of a recession on both sides of the border while households stretch to meet monthly bills, rent, and mortgages. The Bank of Canada and the Fed will continue to walk a fine line between taming inflation and sending households over the financial cliff.
Chair of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell testifies during a House Financial Services Committee hearing.
There’s no party like a rate hike party
Rate hikes will continue … until morale declines or a recession hits. That’s the message market watchers expect, despite slowing inflation, from the Bank of Canada’s next meeting on July 12. The Canadian economy has stayed hot despite the Bank’s effort to cool it with increased interest rates, including a 25-point increase in June.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has indicated the US should expect more hikes, too. And with economists now believing the odds of a US recession are dropping, thanks to a strong labor market and strong consumer demand, the Fed may have no choice but to continue driving up borrowing costs.
Both central banks have signaled that rate hikes have had an effect, but wage growth rates aren’t cooling fast enough, and employment rates remain high. Predictions of a recession on both sides of the border have gone back and forth for months.
The US is Canada’s largest trading partner, so Fed decisions are being watched closely by Canadian economists.
Consider that 70% of Canadian exports go to the US, while only 17.5% of US exports go to Canada. US interest rate hikes, and how they impact exchange rates, can have an outsized impact on the Canadian economy. And if interest hikes lead to a US recession, this could push Canada closer to the brink by driving down demand, contracts, and prices.