
The United States economy grew at a 1.9% pace in the first quarter marking the start of what Federal Reserve policy makers anticipate is a temporary slowdown in growth.

The Federal Reserve has cut its growth forecast for the US economy in the face of the impact of higher energy prices. It now estimates that the US economy will expand between 2.7% and 2.9% this year, down from its April forecast of 3.1% to 3.3%.

Exports of US goods and services rose to a record 175.6bn in April, helping to shrink its trade deficit. Data from the Commerce Department showed the gap between imports and exports fell by 6.7% to 43.7bn as manufacturers shipped more items such as computers.

The Federal Reserve does not need to consider additional monetary policy stimulus as the world's largest economy is likely to pick up in coming quarters due to growth in exports and disposable incomes, IMF acting chief John Lipsky said.

US Federal Reserve rejected criticism that its actions (‘accommodative monetary policy’) have pushed down the foreign exchange value of the US dollar and thereby boosted the price of commodities, adding that the Fed is “fully committed” to maintaining the dollar’s purchasing power and to keeping inflation in check.

US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the “frustratingly slow” US recovery warrants sustained monetary stimulus while predicting that growth will gain speed in the second half of the year.

The US economy is not fully recovered from its deep recession, with housing still weighing on growth, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Friday in a speech spelling out ways the US central bank has studied lower income communities.

The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday it will maintain the current rates and is in no rush to scale back its extensive support for the US economy while estimating that the increase in commodity prices (and inflation) is transitory.

Brazil believes the impact of an undervalued US dollar which is appreciating other currencies such as the Brazilian Real, ‘won’t last long’ according to forecasts from Finance Minister Guido Mantega.

Members of the US Federal Reserve are in sharp disagreement about how to address rising prices. The bank might need to tighten the reins on the economy before the end of the year to stave off inflation, said some members of the central bank's policy-setting body.