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JPMorgan Chase says banks could fight Trump credit card rate cap: ‘Everything’s on the table’

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JPMorgan Chase says banks could fight Trump credit card rate cap: ‘Everything’s on the table’


JPMorgan Chase CFO Jeremy Barnum hinted Tuesday the industry could fight President Donald Trump’s demand for credit card price controls, saying “everything’s on the table.”

“If you wind up with weakly supported directives to radically change our business that aren’t justified, you have to assume that everything’s on the table,” Barnum said on a call with reporters following JPMorgan’s fourth-quarter earnings report. “We owe that to shareholders.”

Barnum was responding to a question about whether banks would choose to litigate to block Trump’s demand, made late Friday, that card companies cap interest rates at 10% for a year. Last year, the industry successfully fought efforts by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to cap card late fees.

Banks and industry insiders say that an interest rate limit would result in fewer credit card accounts for Americans and a dip in spending for the U.S. economy, as companies would simply pull accounts rather than offer them at an unprofitable level.

The average credit card rate nationally is 19.7% as of this month, according to a weekly survey from Bankrate.com, while rates for subprime borrowers and store-specific cards are typically higher.

“Our belief is that actions like this will have the exact opposite consequence to what the administration wants for consumers,” Barnum said. “Instead of lowering the price of credit, we’ll simply reduce the supply of credit, and that will be bad for everyone: consumers, the wider economy, and yes, at the margin, for us.”

The CFO declined to directly answer a question on whether JPMorgan would comply with Trump’s demand, which has a proposed Jan. 20 start date. Banks that don’t follow the directive are “in violation of the law,” Trump told reporters Sunday.

Still, it’s unclear how Trump’s mandate would be enforced. There is no U.S. law capping card rates, though a bill was introduced last year from Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont that would limit card APRs at 10% for five years. That bill is stalled in Congress.

Other voices in the corporate and political realms began addressing the possible impact of Trump’s rate cap on Tuesday.

Beyond banks, airlines and retailers rely on revenue from card partnerships to bolster profit. For instance, Delta Air Lines said Tuesday that its American Express partnership produced $8.2 billion in revenue last year.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said on an earnings call that the cap would “upend the whole credit card industry … I don’t see any way we could even begin to contemplate how that would be implemented.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson struck a note of caution when asked about the issue at a news conference.

“We have a lot of work to go [on] consensus around it, but you got to be very careful as we go forward in that in our zeal to bring down costs — you don’t want to have negative secondary effects,” Johnson said.

— CNBC’s Emily Wilkins and Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.



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‘A win-win for both nations!’ Three-day India-US trade talks to begin this week – The Times of India

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‘A win-win for both nations!’ Three-day India-US trade talks to begin this week – The Times of India


India and the United States are set to resume trade talks this week, taking a “great step to finalize” the proposed agreement. Taking to social media platform X, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said “The Indian trade delegation will be arriving in Washington this week. A great step to finalize our bilateral trade deal. A win-win for both nations!”This week, a delegation of around a dozen officials will be travelling from New Delhi to Washington for discussions on the first phase of the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA). The talks are scheduled from April 20 to 22 and will be led by India’s chief negotiator Darpan Jain, additional secretary in the department of commerce. The team will also include officials from the customs department and the ministry of external affairs.The negotiations come against the backdrop of recent changes in the US tariff system, prompting both sides to revisit parts of the trade agreement finalised earlier this year and released on February 7.A key development was the US Supreme Court striking down reciprocal tariffs imposed under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Following this, the US administration introduced a temporary flat 10% tariff on all countries for 150 days from February 24.These changes led to the postponement of a planned February meeting between the chief negotiators. The rescheduled talks in Washington will now proceed under the revised tariff framework.Alongside tariff issues, the discussions are also expected to cover two investigations initiated by the US Trade Representative under Section 301 of its trade law. India has refuted the allegations and is seeking withdrawal of the probes, arguing that the initiation notices do not provide adequate justification.



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Oil prices jump after Trump says Iranian ship seized

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Oil prices jump after Trump says Iranian ship seized



Energy markets have seen wild swings since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.



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Gold prices in Pakistan Today – April 20, 2026 | The Express Tribune

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Gold prices in Pakistan Today – April 20, 2026 | The Express Tribune


Gold and silver prices declined in both international and domestic markets, reflecting a broader downward trend in precious metals.

In the international bullion market, the price of gold fell by $49 per ounce, settling at $4,788.

According to the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), in the local market, gold prices also recorded a significant drop. The price per tola decreased by Rs4,900 to reach Rs501,162. Similarly, the price of 10 grams of gold declined by Rs4,201, settling at Rs429,665.

Silver prices also followed a downward trajectory. The price per tola of silver fell by Rs145 to Rs8,417 while the price of 10 grams of silver dropped by Rs124, reaching Rs7,216.

Read More: Gold, silver prices rise again in local and international markets

Gold and silver prices recorded an increase on Saturday in both international and local markets after declining on Friday, following a three-day upward trend in global and domestic markets.

According to the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), in the international bullion market, the price of gold rose by $45 per ounce to reach $4,837. In the local market, the price of gold per tola increased by Rs4,500 to Rs506,062, while the rate for 10 grams rose by Rs3,858 to Rs433,866.

Silver prices also moved higher, with the per tola rate increasing by Rs118 to Rs8,562. Similarly, the price of silver per 10 grams rose by Rs101 to Rs7,340.



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