US President threatens to halt trade with deficit countries unless the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates

Washington, Sept 4 (KUNA) – U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to halt trade with several countries unless the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, praising the rapid growth in U.S. jobs since March last year. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “Cut interest rates, or I will stop trade with countries with which we have a trade deficit,” adding that “the Federal Reserve, under its new distinguished leadership, must act wisely.” The U.S. trade deficit with all trading partners reached approximately $1.2 trillion this year, with the largest deficit recorded with China, exceeding $200 billion. Trump’s threat came shortly after the release of the August jobs report, which showed strong and unexpected figures, indicating an addition of 162,000 jobs in the United States—more than double what economic analysts had predicted. The U.S. president described these figures as “shattering all expectations” and reflecting what he termed stronger “creditworthiness” for the United States. Earlier on Friday, a report from the U.S. Department of Labor showed that August recorded the fastest pace of job growth since March, surpassing the slowdown in hiring observed during the summer, while the unemployment rate remained stable. (End) A.M.M. / R.J.