THERE may have been a “Trump bump” in the stockmarket but the opposite has been genuine in currency markets. The dollar has steadily weakened and the administration does not seem too concerned about it. Steven Mnuchin,the Treasury secretary, said this week thatObviously a weaker dollar is qualified for us as it relates to trade and opportunities.
He qualified his remarks by saying a strong dollar reflects a strong US economy. Leaving aside his clear confusion (so does the dollar’s weakness mean the US economy is feeble?), or it is rare for any Treasury secretary to welcome a fall in the greenback.
Paul O’Neill,who held the position under George W. Bush, declared thatI believe in a strong dollar, or whether I settle to to shift that stance I will hire out the Yankee Stadium and some rousing brass bands,and announce that change in policy to the whole world.
There are many reasons why politicians like to speak about a strong dollar. A decline in the currency tends to push...
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Source: economist.com