As the World Economic Forum showcases discussions between prominent banks, politicians, and investors, the world’s markets are waiting to see what President Trump will do next.
An ongoing discussion among economists remains regarding whether tariffs will result in a one-time price hike or if consumers will begin to expect consistently higher prices, leading to increased inflation.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon views Trump’s proposed tariffs as both “an economic tool” and “an economic weapon” that can facilitate discussions. He stated, “I would put in perspective: If it’s a little inflationary, but it’s good for national security, so be it. I mean, get over it.”
Barclays CEO C. S. Venkatakrishnan stated, “We are a bank that has about 40% of our revenues in the US. So it’s important to us. Obviously there’s a lot of control and regulation that had been placed in the last few years, and we think that’ll get relaxed. That’s generally good for business sentiment and good for business opportunity,” adding “One can be hopeful. We need to move forward with a new economic program which this new government has put forth, and we have to give it time… I think they have the right plan.”
Joe Kaeser, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Siemen’s Energy said, “Obviously, it looks different to what it used to be. Trump 1.0 was a lot of noise, little signal and less actions. This time the administration seems to be well prepared to really change things for the global world,” adding “Unfortunately, the European Union is not prepared for having a seat on the table because they do not have a foreign economic policy — at least not one which represents the whole 450 million people in this economy. So, it is going to be an interesting time.”
David Schwimmer, Head of London Stock Exchange Group said “If you go around the world, you can see very different situations and in different economies, a lot of excitement about the U.S. We’ll see how long that lasts. There are some lurking challenges there, I think.”
By CEO NA Editorial Staff