Federal Reserve's tough test

As the members of the US Federal Reserve Committee are due to meet this week for the last time this year, there is a divergence of opinion, with some analysts anticipating they will raise interest rates, and others suggesting a decision will not be made until president-elect Donald Trump clarifies his tax cuts and announces his plan for large-scale infrastructure spending.

However, no matter when it comes, a rise in interest rates will unavoidably have repercussions for the global market.

During his campaign, Trump promised to launch tax cuts and intensify infrastructure construction to improve the livelihoods of people in the United States. He also threatened to impose higher taxes on US enterprises that sell their products back to the US while relocating factories to other countries and employing foreign workers, as a way of forcing US manufacturers to return home and create more domestic jobs.