*

Business Roundtable has pushed for end to Trump trade war

*

Meeting comes after US stock market sell-off

*

Companies try to size up Trump's economic impact

By Trevor Hunnicutt and David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald

Trump will meet the CEOs of America's biggest companies on

Tuesday, many whose market value has dipped in recent days as

recession and inflation fears soured consumer and investor

sentiment.

The Republican president is expected to speak with around

100 CEOs at a regular meeting of the Business Roundtable in

Washington, an influential group of CEOs leading major U.S.

companies from Apple ( AAPL ) to JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) and

Walmart ( WMT ). Trump met with technology company executives at

the White House on Monday.

Trump's economic policies so far have centered on a blitz of

tariff announcements - some of which have taken effect and

others delayed or set to kick in later - that he has said will

correct unbalanced trade relations, bring jobs back to the

country and stop the flow of illegal narcotics from abroad.

Markets have been spooked by the prospect that the policies

could raise prices for businesses, boosting inflation, and

undermine consumer confidence in a blow to economic growth.

U.S. stocks tumbled on Monday, putting the benchmark S&P 500

down nearly 3% since Trump's election in November last

year and 4.5% underwater for the year overall. Meanwhile, a

survey of American households showed consumers growing more

pessimistic about their prospects.

Trump has imposed an additional 20% tariff on Chinese goods

entering the United States, as well as 25% tariffs on imports

from Canada and Mexico, although he suspended most of the duties

on U.S. neighbors until April 2, when he plans to unveil a

global regime of reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners.

Trump last month said the policies could cause "short-term,

some little pain" before delivering long-run benefits. In a Fox

News interview aired over the weekend, he declined to predict

whether his economic policies would cause a recession.

"Industry leaders have responded to President Trump's

America First economic agenda of tariffs, deregulation, and the

unleashing of American energy with trillions in investment

commitments that will create thousands of new jobs," said White

House spokesman Kush Desai, dismissing negative talk about the

outlook.

Until recently, investors have been buoyant that the

Republican president's policies would tip towards stimulating

more growth, for instance through lower taxes, or easing

inflationary pressures, for instance by loosening regulation on

fossil fuel production.

But tax cuts need congressional approval. And some

economists see plans to increase deportations of undocumented

immigrants increasing price pressures in the labor market, while

cutting the federal workforce could raise unemployment.

"I think if we all are becoming a little more nationalistic

- and I'm not saying that's a bad thing, you know, it does

resonate with me - that it's going to have elevated inflation,"

said BlackRock ( BLK ) CEO Larry Fink, a Business Roundtable

member, at an industry conference on Monday.

Economists at Goldman Sachs Group ( GS ) have cut their 2025

U.S. growth forecast and raised their inflation forecast, "both

on the back of more adverse tariff assumptions." The forecast

remains positive for the year. The bank's CEO, David Solomon, is

a Business Roundtable member.

Last week, the business advocacy group called for making the

Trump tax cuts permanent and pushing forward with regulatory

reform in the energy, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors,

areas of broad alignment with the Trump administration.

But the group also urged "negotiators to redouble efforts to

secure a path forward that swiftly removes the recently

implemented tariffs. These tariffs, especially if they are

long-lasting, run the risk of creating serious economic impact."

The group also said the White House and Congress should

preserve the benefits of the North American free trade deal with

Mexico and Canada signed during Trump's first term.