by Trade Correspondent L.C. — The world economy faces three principal threats at the moment: Rising interest rates, endangering those emerging economies with heavy debt burdens; Possible Saudi-triggered oil price increases in the wake of the Khashoggi affair; and Ongoing trade war among the US, its allies, and China. Regarding the US-China trade war, while […]
Trump’s trade agreements antagonize allies but are mostly PR
Trade correspondent L.C. (supplemented by a late-breaking addition): As we went to press, Bloomberg issued the following report on the just-concluded US-Canada agreement to continue NAFTA: “Globalists Will Love Trump’s New Nafta Deal. Despite the fanfare, the agreement doesn’t change much. “For the group of people meant to be enemies of President Donald Trump’s trade […]
Little support in private sector for administration’s escalating trade war
Trade correspondent L.C. reports: The US has imposed the threatened third major expansion of Section 301 tariffs — 10% tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese exports to the US. China’s has responded with retaliatory tariffs that will hit $60 billion in US exports to China and take effect today, Sept. 24th. There is virtually no […]
Trump threatens Japan and Canada with ruinous auto tariffs
Trade correspondent L.C. reports: President Trump threatened Japan with unspecified action over its persistent trade surplus with the US. The threat came in a telephone conversation with Wall Street Journal assistant editor James Freeman, who quoted the President as saying that the US has “good relations” with Japan but that he “is still bothered by […]
Second tranche of US-China tit-for-tat tariffs goes live in ten days
Trade correspondent L.C. reports: The US and China have announced the unleashing of the next tranche in tit-for-tat tariffs, covering $16 billion in each country’s exports, to begin on August 23rd. The US tariffs are set at 25% and are being imposed under trade law Section 301. The Chinese tariff rate will also be 25%. […]