U.S. stocks started lower on Tuesday as investors await Fed Chair Powell's remarks about the economy, tariffs, inflation and more.

Fresh tariffs amid high inflation are making the Fed’s job uniquely difficult and feeding uncertainty about what to expect for interest rates this year.

Trump tariffs are likely to boost inflation further above the Fed's target, keeping the Federal Reserve on pause amid what Jerome Powell sees as a solid labor market.

U.S. stock index futures slipped on Tuesday as investors awaited a testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for insight on tariffs and their impact on inflation in the world's biggest economy.