tariffs

Thousands of wholesale seafood producers and buyers from around the world gathered in Boston for the North American Seafood Expo.

Though some proposed tariffs on Canadian imports have been delayed, business owners near the border are preparing for cost increases

Exports of meat, corn and soybeans may grow even more expensive if tariffs take effect.

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.