Trade Tax Implications and Economic Sentiment Analysis

The EU and the US agreed that US consumers should pay more tax—levied at 15% for imports from the EU. EU President von der Leyen made vague pledges to buy stuff from and invest in the US, without the necessary authority to make those pledges reality. Pharmaceuticals and steel seem to be excluded from this deal. The result is better for the US economy than the worst-case scenario, but worse for the US economy than the situation in January this year—but it is bad news markets have probably anticipated.