Obama-Era Auto Emissions Standards Will be Reviewed; Fed Hikes Interest Rates

by Jeff Yoders on MARCH 15, 2017

The leaders of the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation said today that they will revisit Obama-era corporate average fuel economy standards on greenhouse gas emissions for 2022 to 2025 model cars and light trucks, a win for automakers that said the standards were too tough to meet.

President Donald Trump, speaking at the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti, Mich., went even further saying his administration would cancel Obama’s executive order establishing the standards outright.

“Today I am announcing we are going to cancel that executive action,” President Trump said. “We are going to restore the originally scheduled midterm review and we are going to ensure any regulations we have protect and defend your jobs, your factories. We’re going to be fair.”

The American Iron & Steel Institute, the largest industry association of steelmakers, which count themselves as important members of the automotive supply chain, praised the action.

“AISI is pleased the Administration has withdrawn the final determination of the EPA Light Duty Vehicle Emission Standards issued in January,” said Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI in a statement. “As a key materials solutions provider, we look forward to a dialogue between EPA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, California Air Resources Board, auto manufacturers and other relevant stakeholders on the mid-term evaluation.”

The CARB’s inclusion is notable as California has said it will go forward with state emissions standards that are more stringent than the federal government’s, no matter if the federal CAFE standards are changed or not.

Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates

For the first time this year, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates one quarter point to a range of .75% to 1%, a widely expected move following strengthening economic reports and signals from Fed officials.

After its two-day policy meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee voted to raise the range of the federal funds rate to 0.75% and 1.00%, citing progress in labor market growth, business fixed investment and inflation.

 “In view of realized and expected labor market conditions and inflation, the Committee decided to raise…the fed funds rate,” the central bank wrote in its statement.

One member of the committee, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, voted against the decision, preferring to keep the federal funds rate between 0.50% to 0.75%. Kashkari is a new voting member of the FOMC this year.