tariffs

And that will impact businesses, the housing market and consumers.

New residential building permits are down. High prices on building materials could further slow new construction.

“What is completely uncertain is what the destination looks like,” says Mohamed El-Erian, president of Queens’ College, about the U.S. economy.

The Fed’s Empire State manufacturing index shows weakness in demand and employment, possibly tied to the prospect of tariffs.

A January surge in imports will have a negative impact on GDP in the near term. A protracted trade war would drag down economic growth in the long run.

Uncertainty about tariff policy poses risk of both rising prices and high unemployment, says economist Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan.

The opaque application process and random approvals confused many. It’s unclear if there will be a formal exclusion process this time.

Some owners who had planned to staff up are waiting to see how things shake out with tariffs and consumer spending.

Chinese buyers will pay 10% or 15% taxes on imported American goods, including chicken, pork, wheat, corn and fruit — stifling demand.

As spring approaches, many farmers are unsure what crops they should plant and what the effect of tariffs could be.