Washington

ECONOMISTS took a dim view of various Trump administration policies in a survey, foreseeing a growing budget deficit along with unfavourable impacts from actions on immigration and trade, even as they expect short-term positive effects from tax cuts and looser regulation.

A National Association for Business Economics survey of 211 members showed a majority expects the recent tax legislation to boost expansion this year by a quarter to three-quarters of a percentage point. Another question showed that 43 per cent see a positive impact on the economy from the administration's regulatory actions, yet another 40 per cent said the effects would be positive in the near term and negative in the longer run.