Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the top Democrat on a Russian secondary sanctions bill, said he's not discouraged that Senate Majority Leader John Thune is putting off a vote on the bill again. The bill has 85 sponsors in the Senate, and would give the president the ability to put up to 500% tariffs on the goods of countries that buy Russian fossil fuels; it also would expand sanctions on Russian officials.
President Donald Trump said that China's President Xi Jinping wants "to discuss the fact that they're paying 157% tariff, it's a little higher than they thought. And we're doing very well. I think we're going to do well in that negotiation."
President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical minerals development framework that pledges investment in the sector, both mining and processing.
President Donald Trump confirmed to reporters on his plane on Oct. 19 that he intends to hike tariffs on Colombian goods on Oct. 21. He had earlier attacked Colombia's president on social media, calling him "an illegal drug leader," and saying that the U.S. no longer would give money to Colombia so that it can work to stop cocaine trafficking.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative says that Nicaragua's leaders are repressing labor rights and human rights, and dismantling the rule of law, and that these authoritarian actions are directly and indirectly harming U.S. commercial interests.
President Donald Trump told reporters that unless China stops fentanyl shipments, resumes buying U.S. soybeans and stops playing "the rare earth game with us," he won't lower tariffs.
Peter Navarro, White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, argues that academics, editorial writers and analysts who say higher tariffs hurt domestic manufacturing are all wrong.
President Donald Trump, when asked if another 100% tariff on top of existing tariffs on Chinese goods would damage the economy, said, "It's not sustainable, but that's what the number is."
Section 232 tariffs on heavy- and medium-duty trucks and their parts and on buses will take effect Nov. 1, under a proclamation issued by President Donald Trump. Tariffs will be set at 25% for classes III through VIII trucks and their parts, and 10% on buses.
The Senate Appropriations Committee's subcommittee responsible for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies' spending bill will hear from the U.S. trade representative on Oct. 21. The subcommittee is led by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.