The US Federal Reserve maintained its base interest rate at 4.25-4.5%. The decision was made unanimously by the members of the Open Market Operations Committee. The regulator strives to maintain maximum employment and inflation at 2% in the long term. The Fed will also take into account economic data and risks to adjust future policy. The UK's public debt has reached a critical point. The head of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, said that serious decisions are needed to curb the growth of public debt close to 100% of GDP. He noted that climate change, the aging of the population and the growth of defense spending create structural challenges for the economy. Slowing growth and high borrowing costs threaten to undermine the country's fiscal reserves. France ended the year with moderate economic growth. In the fourth quarter of 2024, France's GDP decreased by 0.1% compared to the previous quarter, and grew by 0.7% year-on-year. In the third quarter, which coincided with the Olympic Games, the economy grew by 0.4% quarterly and by 1.2% YoY. The average annual GDP growth for 2024 was 1.1%, repeating the result of the previous year. Washington is increasing pressure on chip exports to China. The Donald Trump administration is considering expanding restrictions on the sale of Nvidia chips to China, including H20 models. The discussions are at an early stage, and no decision has been made yet. The candidate for the post of Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnik, announced strict control over the export of chips. Against the background of this news, Nvidia shares fell by 4.1%. The company also expressed its willingness to cooperate with the authorities. Europe is considering the restoration of gas cooperation with Russia. A number of EU countries have proposed to include the resumption of Russian gas supplies through pipelines in the agreement on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. The initiative was supported by representatives of Germany, Hungary and other countries. In their opinion, this will help reduce energy prices in Europe and will be an incentive for the parties to comply with the terms of the truce.
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