Thomas Barkin delivered his first speech as Richmond Fed President overnight and expressed his support for more rate hikes ahead. But he declined to comment on how many hikes this year he expects.
He noted that “monetary policy is still pretty accommodative”. And, “when unemployment is low and inflation is effectively at our target, we probably ought to go to neutral in that environment.” Also, “the economy’s performance as we sit here today is remarkably strong: above trend growth, low unemployment, inflation at target.”
But Barkin also warned on the risks from the trade tensions between US and other countries. He said it’s “not clear what’s going to be implemented in the end” regarding tariffs. But “there is an issue on business confidence and the business people that I talk to who were almost euphoric in January are now nervous. And they’re nervous about where the macroeconomy is going.”
