The U.S. Federal Reserve concluded a two-day monetary policy meeting on the 18th, announcing that it will maintain the federal funds rate target range at 4.25% to 4.50%.
This marks the fourth consecutive decision by the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting to keep interest rates unchanged.
The Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed's decision-making body, stated in its announcement that recent indicators show that U.S. economic activity continues to expand at a steady pace, the unemployment rate remains low, and the labor market conditions are relatively stable, but the inflation rate is still slightly elevated.
The statement pointed out that significant uncertainties remain regarding the U.S. economic outlook, and the Federal Open Market Committee will continue to monitor risk factors and is prepared to adjust its monetary policy stance as necessary.
Additionally, the economic projections released by the Fed indicate that officials have lowered their expectations for the U.S. economic growth for this year and next year. The median economic growth forecast for this year has been revised down from the previous 1.7% to 1.4%.
In the press conference held afterward, Federal Reserve Chairman Powell stated that the impact of the Trump administration's tariff policies on end consumers has begun to materialize and is expected to become more apparent in the coming months.