New Zealand c.bank official says Trump economic policies 'very much manageable'
Recasts throughout with comments on impacts from Trump's policies
By Renju Jose
Nov 7 (Reuters) -A top New Zealand central banker said on Thursday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's economic policy proposals could spur inflation and instigate trade wars, but global central banks would be able to effectively manage such scenarios.
Trump will retake the White House with ambitious plans for broad import tariffs and additional tax cuts that analysts see delivering a short-term boost to the U.S. economy, but also higher inflation and larger budget deficits.
He aims to kick the aggressive trade agenda from his first term into higher gear with across-the-board 10% tariffs on imported goods and even higher levies on imports from China.
"We think on the margin (with Trump's policies) that's a higher inflation package than the alternative but one that's very much manageable in the world of operationally independent central banks," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Deputy Governor Christian Hawkesby told a parliamentary committee.
"There are risk scenarios around (trade) and all that relies on with the tit-for-tat escalation: who does what and the response, and whether things sort of broaden out from there," Hawkesby says.
In its semi-annual Financial Stability Report released on Tuesday, the RBNZ said the potential impacts from geopolitical risks must not be underestimated and acknowledged it as a key risk to New Zealand's economy, which heavily relies on trade.
The report also painted a bleak domestic economic picture, citing rising unemployment and delayed business investment plans due to financial hardships.
Hawkesby said New Zealand's economy was facing challenges and unemployment could rise even further. But he added inflationary pressures have been easing and declining interest rates could help lift the economy from recession.
New Zealand's jobless rate rose to a near four-year high in the September quarter, data showed on Wednesday, as employment dropped by the most since 2020, cementing market wagers that another outsized interest rate cut will be delivered later this month.
Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jamie Freed
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