Fed holds rates steady, cites inflation and unemployment risks

Powell points to uncertainty about 'where tariff policies are going to settle out'

20250507 Fed Powell

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said "despite heightened uncertainty, the economy is still in a solid position." © Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday but said the risks of higher inflation and unemployment had risen, further clouding the economic outlook as the U.S. central bank grapples with the impact of Trump administration tariff policies.

The economy overall has "continued to expand at a solid pace," the Fed said in a policy statement, attributing a drop in first-quarter output to record imports as businesses and households rushed to front-run new import taxes.

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