Tariffs Up, Inflation Down

  • US equity markets surged this week - extending a dramatic post "Liberation Day" rebound - after the White House announced a trade truce with China, while investors cheered surprisingly cool inflation data. Quelling one of the primary recession risks, the U.S. and China reached a surprising breakthrough in agreeing to slash tariffs to pre-retaliation levels during a 90-day negotiating period. More good news on the inflation front. Despite the broad-based tariff hikes in April, the critical CPI and the PPI both showed the lowest annual increase in inflation since 2021.