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Trump’s New Pick, Xi on Trade Deal, Lagarde’s New Mix: Eco Day

Trump’s New Pick, Lagarde’s New Mix, Data Mistakes: Eco Day

(Bloomberg) --

Good morning Americas. Here’s the latest news and analysis from Bloomberg Economics to help get you through to the weekend:

  • One of President Donald Trump’s most recent picks for the Federal Reserve has challenged an article of faith regarding the U.S. central bank: that it should operate free of political influence
  • Chinese President Xi Jinping said his nation wants to work toward a phase one trade agreement with the U.S. on the “basis of mutual respect and equality,” his first comments on a partial deal that he could potentially sign with U.S. President Donald Trump
    • China’s top trade negotiator weighed into the debate about how much of China’s economy is government controlled, addressing a point of ongoing tension with the U.S.
  • European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde called for a new policy mix, saying public investment should be stepped up to ease the burden on monetary stimulus and ensure the region can thrive in an uncertain world
    • Her first major speech president also suggests she has every intention of sticking with her trademark style of using colorful cultural references
  • Europe’s economy took a step back in November even as German manufacturers shook off some of the crippling slump that’s dented growth
  • Meanwhile, the U.K. economy’s performance was the worst since July 2016 this month as uncertainty from Brexit and the snap election weighed on sentiment
  • Scandinavia is offering a fresh case study in how even the world’s richest countries can struggle to measure their own economies
  • China’s gross domestic product was more than $270 billion larger than first estimated last year, a revision that added the equivalent of Finland’s output to the world’s second-largest economy
  • Finally, here’s a collection of this week’s analysis, scoops and enterprise from Bloomberg Economics

To contact the reporter on this story: David Goodman in London at dgoodman28@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Gordon at pgordon6@bloomberg.net, Brian Swint

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