U.S. Businesses Optimistic Despite Economic Uncertainty Abroad

American businesses may not be thriving across sectors, but an article in the New York Times suggests that hasn’t impacted the optimism many U.S.business owners are feeling. In fact, the National Federation of Independent Business’s optimism index is in the 99th percentile, something the group’s president, Jaunita Duggan, calls “astounding.”

In the minds of many business owners, the turmoils of the global political climate are taking a back seat to the immediate benefits of steep tax cuts for corporations and the roll-back of environmental, financial and safety regulations.

“[Business owners are] not worried about China tariffs and trade fights with Germany,” said Mark Hemmeter, the founder of Office Evolution in Broomfield, Colo., which franchises office space for small businesses to rent. “Our clients are focused on developing business in their communities.”

The article notes that soybean and pork farmers, two sectors hit most squarely by the ongoing trade war with China, do not share the optimism that other businesses are experiencing.