贝森特称2%通胀目标并非铁律 建议美联储引入‘区间制’

Group 1 - The core viewpoint is that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggests that the Federal Reserve should reconsider its 2% inflation target once inflation stabilizes at that level, proposing a potential range of 1.5% to 2.5% or 1% to 3% instead [1] - Bessent emphasizes that the pursuit of a precise inflation target is unreasonable and warns that adjusting the target in response to higher inflation could create a perception that policies will always adjust upwards when inflation exceeds a certain level [1] - He acknowledges the pressure on American households regarding affordability, which was reflected in the recent elections where the Republican Party faced losses [1] Group 2 - Bessent notes that the current price levels are very high, attributing the inflation to the Biden administration, but also mentions that inflation has started to decline, partly due to falling rents [2] - The November Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed a year-over-year increase of 2.7%, down from 3% in September, although analysts caution that data may be inaccurate due to the government shutdown affecting data collection [2] - Bessent believes that stabilizing the budget deficit could provide justification for lowering interest rates, drawing parallels to pre-euro Germany where the central bank worked with the government to maintain fiscal balance [2] Group 3 - Bessent asserts that stabilizing or reducing the budget deficit would help curb inflation [3] - He is currently involved in assisting President Trump in selecting the next Federal Reserve Chair to succeed Jerome Powell, reiterating his criticism of the Fed's extensive balance sheet expansion post-COVID-19 [3] - Bessent believes that the duration of the Fed's balance sheet expansion has been excessively long [3]