President Donald Trump posted on social media that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a long, "very productive" phone call on Oct. 16. In addition to talking about the ceasefire in Gaza and the first lady's efforts to get Ukrainian children held in Russia or Russia-occupied Ukraine back to their parents in free Ukraine, "we also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over," he wrote.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer faced some skepticism at a Republican lunch this week, but how much is unclear, since many Republicans were circumspect in describing the conversation. However much intra-party pushback there is toward the administration's tariff and trade policy, one senator told International Trade Today that it doesn't matter in the end.
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- As increased trade enforcement, the federal government shutdown and efforts to hunt down counterfeit goods and illegal drugs dominate today’s headlines, so are these circumstances impacting the ports on the West Coast, according to panelists at last week’s Western Cargo Conference.
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told an Axios interviewer that the administration was taken aback by China's announcement of extraterritorial export controls on products made with rare earths processed in China.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, in a joint press conference with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, said the administration has already drafted some documents to hike tariffs on Chinese goods, and is drafting other documents that might impose more export controls for goods sold to Chinese firms.
China is imposing new port fees on U.S. ships and placing sanctions on five U.S. subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Marine Corporation in response to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Section 301 investigation of China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors (see 2506100023).
President Donald Trump, on his way to Israel, softened his message on tariffs on Chinese goods. When asked if imposing those tariffs was still the plan, he said, "Right now it is. Let's see what happens. November 1st is an eternity."
President Donald Trump reacted angrily to China's plan to expand export restrictions, including when rare earths are in products made abroad (see 2510090021. In a social media post that seemed to trigger a 2.7% drop in the S&P 500, he wrote, "Dependent on what China says about the hostile 'order' that they have just put out, I will be forced, as President of the United States of America, to financially counter their move. For every Element that they have been able to monopolize, we have two."
The U.S. will soon impose a 100% tariff on China, “over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying,” along with new export controls on “any and all critical software,” President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social. Trump said the measures, which could take effect Nov. 1 or sooner, are in response to China’s recent announcement that it will impose new export license requirements on overseas exports if they contain certain levels of Chinese-origin material.