英国首相伯纳姆：将坚持财政规则。

UK mortgage approvals unexpectedly fell in August as higher borrowing costs linked to the Iran war deterred buyers. Data from the Bank of England on Tuesday showed approvals dropped for a second month to 54,918 from a downwardly revised 55,928 in July, the lowest since December 2023; economists had expected no change. With the Middle East conflict ongoing, headline mortgage rates are approaching 6%. Markets also expect Chancellor Hiley to raise property taxes in his first budget to shore up public finances, adding further pressure on the housing market.

Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said U.S. growth should be “close to 4%, not 3%” if there is “no interference from the outside world,” and called 4% his “baseline scenario.” He warned external shocks could prevent the Trump administration from achieving its target of sustained 3% GDP growth; private economists typically forecast nearer 2%. Hassett said recent AI investment has supported GDP, while slowing labor-force growth and a weak housing market remain headwinds. He added the administration’s goal to cut the fiscal deficit to 3% of GDP could be affected by “force majeure” factors. On rising U.S. Treasury yields, Hassett said the move partly reflects a more attractive investment backdrop and that higher financing costs have not deterred projects such as data centers — firms continue to borrow and invest, pushing rates up. On the federal debt exceeding $40 trillion, he said part is intra-governmental “debt the government owes itself,” and estimated external debt at about $15 trillion.