Follow The Fed or The Street? Wall Street set several records in August, yet the Fed remains very cautious about the near-term future of the U.S. economy.  Who to believe?  Mortgage rates are now low enough to make you put your mask on and march into your bank for a new mortgage, or a refinance of an existing one.  People […]

Trade was rising in the public eye as the 2020 election progressed.  Then the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the release of President Donald Trump’s personal tax returns last month upended the election narrative in Washington.  Action this month to confirm a new Supreme Court Justice and examination of those returns are sure to make October […]

America Chooses, America Wins As the FTZine goes to press, Joe Biden holds a lead in electoral college votes that appears solid enough to make him the next President of the United States. Election results have been much tighter than polling had predicted, however his lead appears sufficient that a court challenge in any one state would not change that […]

A Late Start – A late start to the transition to a new administration in Washington has left the town abuzz wondering who will fill the top posts affecting trade.  This includes intrigue about who is in the running to be the next Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative.  Palace gossip in “The Crown” has nothing on […]

It’s Over – The best part about the New Year . . . is that it swept out the old one.  Perhaps the year 2020 will become like the 13th Floor; simply dropped from the list and never mentioned or discussed.  Next!   The end of the year was particularly active for trade news which gets 2021 off to a […]

Back To Business: It was QUITE the month in your nation’s capital, capped off with a frosty blanket of snow and ice.  Before that heavy precipitation made your Nation’s Capital look angelic, however, there was a storming of the Capitol, a contested electoral college confirmation, and a vote in the House that impeached a President of the United States for […]

Trade Takes A Back Seat We understand there is still a pandemic going on.  Even so, with international trade likely a key part of the global economic recovery, it was disappointing to learn last month that trade did not make the short list of President Biden’s current priorities. That is not to say that nothing happened in the world of […]

DC Is Blooming – No Fooling; The Cherry Blossoms of Spring are always a welcome distraction in your Nation’s Capital.  Though access is highly restricted this year, early risers can still get a chance to enjoy this special rite that punctuates the end to winter.  News on the economy has also been warmer and folks have even started to talk […]

Lots Of Trade Last Month. Trade Policy, Not So Much – New USTR Catherine Tai used her first official speech last month to discuss . . . climate change, and has just been assigned the task of reviewing intellectual property rules that restrict wider manufacture of vaccines developed in the United States.  That is a reflection of the lack of […]