Federal Reserve Chairman Powell previously said there were dangers in delaying action, which foreshadowed a rate cut at the Fed's next meeting on October 29. His remarks were seen as solidifying expectations of a 25 basis point rate cut this month. Traders in the futures market had anticipated this and were convinced there would be another rate cut in December. If they are right, this would be in line with the median forecast made by Fed officials last month. The hawkish arguments were strong enough to convince eight of the 19 Fed officials to predict there would be no further rate cuts next year. Many believe that consumer prices face the ongoing threat of tariffs, a point highlighted once again by the latest trade frictions. (Jinshi)