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China said it is evaluating U.S. overtures to initiate trade negotiations, potentially paving the way for the world’s two largest economies to start talks to resolve a trade war that has rumbled financial markets and cast a pall on global economic activity. Senior U.S. officials have reached out recently “through relevant parties multiple times,” hoping to start negotiations with China on tariffs, a spokesperson for the commerce ministry said in a statement Friday. While assessing the possibility of starting any negotiations, Chinese authorities reiterated Beijing’s request for the U.S. to remove all unilateral tariffs. Failure to do so would indicate...

It wasn't as graphic as the fake bloody, severed head of Trump that Kathy Griffin infamously held up. But in her own way, CNN's Audie Cornish lumped Trump into the same category as history's most famous victim of the guillotine. Cornish kicked off today's CNN This Morning by slyly slipping in an analogy between President Trump and Marie Antoinette--the French queen who was beheaded by the guillotine. Commenting on Trump's statement that, given the new tariffs, "maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls," here's how Cornish rephrased Trump: "Let them buy fewer dolls!"That was an echo...

Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., who won a special election to replace national security adviser Mike Waltz in Florida's 6th Congressional District, ripped Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Wednesday for working with Democrats on a Senate resolution designed to rein in President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs.The Senate was poised Wednesday to vote on the resolution, which would end the national emergency Trump declared in an executive order to implement the tariffs on foreign imports. Paul and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who sponsored the resolution, used a special legislative procedure to force a vote. The resolution prompted House Republicans to add a...

“I will use my presidential authority to set import quotas. . . . We can manage the short-term shortages more effectively and we will, but there are no short-term solutions to our long-range problems. There is simply no way to avoid sacrifice.” — Jimmy Carter, the “malaise speech,” July 1979 “You don’t necessarily need a choice of 23 underarm spray deodorants or of 18 different pairs of sneakers when children are hungry in this country.” — Bernie Sanders, May 2015 “Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American Dream.” — Scott Bessent, March 2025. “[China] made a...

The Democrat and RINO effort to blow up Trump’s global tariffs suffered an embarrassing failure in the Senate this evening after two senators failed to vote. As The Gateway Pundit reported, Senator Rand Paul (RINO-KY) had sponsored a resolution that would have terminated ALL of Trump’s tariffs, including those on America’s top adversary, China. The vote deadlocked 49-49, meaning it failed by one vote. But there were three Republicans who voted to stab Trump in the back and end the global tariffs: Rand Paul of Kentucky Susan Collins of Maine Lisa Murkowski of Alaska Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Senator...

This next story is a natural outcome in the flow of goods. Remember, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the first quarter is a hindsight review. Meaning the information released today was based on activity in January, February and March 2025.U.S. companies surged the purchasing of import goods, mostly from China, by more than 50% in the first quarter. They were/are building inventory. So, what happens in China starting in April?Hong Kong, CNN – China’s factory activity contracted at its fastest pace in 16 months in April, as steep US tariffs took a heavy toll on the manufacturing sector,...

The absolute key to the first quarter GDP result is to remember that ‘imports‘ are a deduction in the economic equation of Gross Domestic Product. The GDP is the valuation of all goods and services produced in the USA *minus* the value of imports.The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) releases the results of the first quarter GDP. The overall economic growth seems low at –0.3% until you look at how U.S. companies responded in February and March to the tariff announcement.Companies proactively purchased massive amounts of products in advance of the tariffs leading to an overall increase in imports of...

As we saw previously in Term-1, President Trump has again divided and assigned trade negotiation responsibility to key cabinet members. In this interview with CNN National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett smiles and walks effortlessly through the narrative engineering attempt by CNN pundit Kassie Hunt.This is a must watch interview if you are following the details of the current global trade renegotiation.Hassett outlines the current status of trade negotiations with some of the biggest trade partners in the world. India and Southeast Asia are being handled by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is in control of the...

China has created a list of US-made products that would be exempted from its 125 per cent tariffs and is quietly notifying companies about the policy, two people familiar with the matter said, as Beijing seeks to ease the impact of its trade war with Washington. China has already granted tariff exemptions on select products, including select pharmaceuticals, microchips and aircraft engines and was asking firms to identify critical goods they need levy-free, Reuters reported on Friday (Apr 25). However, the existence of a so-called 'whitelist' had not been previously reported. The quiet approach allows Beijing, which has repeatedly said...

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) backs President Donald Trump on tariffs, he made clear during an appearance at an Axios News Shapers event this week. Trump has the backing of Johnson, who said according to Axios that the tariffs “are working.” “I think the executive has a broad array of authority that’s been recognized over the years,” Johnson said. “If it gets close to where the imbalance is there, then we would step in.” However, if it came to that, Johnson said the first line of defense would be calling Trump directly. “But I think the first protocol, to be...

Tariffs are not just an economic issue—they are an existential necessity... America has run global trade deficits every year since 1974. The cumulative value of these deficits is over $25 trillion in today’s dollars. Americans have also invested $6.68 trillion abroad, building factories, laboratories and infrastructure in foreign countries. To add insult to injury, foreigners have stolen almost $10 trillion worth of American intellectual property and technology. This has been catastrophic for America’s industrial base. To begin with, over 60,000 factories have been relocated to China, Mexico, and Europe. This caused job loss on an unprecedented scale—America has lost over...

On Wednesday, it was reported that China had quietly compiled a list of US-made goods exempt from its 125% tariffs, aiming to ease trade tensions without public concessions. Companies, particularly those reliant on US technologies — such as pharmaceuticals and chipmakers — are being discreetly informed about these exemptions, Reuters reported. The list appears to be expanding: For instance, China recently waived tariffs on US ethane imports. This approach allows Beijing to maintain a firm public stance while offering behind-the-scenes relief. Reports emerged last week that China quietly rolled back tariffs on some US semiconductor products, easing pressure on its...

SINGAPORE, April 29 (Reuters) - China has waived the 125% tariff on ethane imports from the United States imposed earlier this month, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday, among a group of products that have been granted exemptions. The move will ease pressure on Chinese firms that import U.S. ethane for petrochemical production as well as provide an outlet for the natural gas liquid, a byproduct of U.S. shale gas production. The sources said the tariff on ethane had been waived in recent days. One of them said the waiver has not been publicly announced. They...

The U.S. economy contracted in the first three months of 2025, as businesses rushed to stock up on imports ahead of tariffs and consumers eased their pace of spending. The Commerce Department said U.S. gross domestic product—the value of all goods and services produced across the economy—fell at a seasonally and inflation adjusted 0.3% annual rate in the first quarter. That was the steepest decline since the first quarter of 2022. The reading fell short of the 0.4% growth that economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected. The decline in GDP in the first quarter reflected front-running ahead of...

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday teased that the Trump administration has reached its first trade deal, but said it was not fully finalized and declined to name the country involved. “I have a deal done, done, done, done, but I need to wait for their prime minister and their parliament to give its approval, which I expect shortly,” Lutnick told CNBC’s Brian Sullivan. The stock market rose to its highs of the session following the comments, as Wall Street is watching closely for signs of progress in trade negotiations. Lutnick did say that he was not dealing directly with...

according to Bloomberg News. Most of the hikes in US prices came on Friday, with markups significantly higher in some categories than others, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. The average price for the top 100 products in the beauty and health category increased by 51% from Thursday, with several of the items more than doubling in price. For home and kitchen products and toys, the average jump was more than 30%, led by a massive 377% increase in the price of a 10-piece set of kitchen towels. For women’s clothing the rise was 8%. E-commerce shopping platforms like...

The New Thing embraced by Democrats and the Regime Media, and the squishes on the political right, is that President Trump is somehow responsible for the liberals winning Monday’s national elections in … Canada.It was the tariffs, they say.It was Trump trolling Canada as our 51st state, they say.It was Trump teasing former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau,” as in governor of America’s 51st state, they say.First off, no Normal Person cares about what happens in Canada. Who cares how Canada votes? If Canadians want another four-year term of socialist failure, they should get it. Good on them....

Tariff revenue spiked in April as President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" import taxes went into effect. The government collected $15.9 billion in tariff revenue in April so far, compared to $9.6 billion in all of March. The tariffs were partly devised to raise money to fund the government, but economists warn they could also push up the cost of living. President Donald Trump's tariffs have become a financial reality at the nation's borders. Trump's stated goals for his import taxes include raising revenue to fund the government, restoring U.S. manufacturing by protecting it from foreign competition, and pressuring foreign governments...

HÀ NỘI — Promising developments are being made in the ongoing tariff negotiations between Việt Nam and the US, despite persistent trade challenges. That's according to Đỗ Ngọc Hưng, Trade Counsellor to the US, speaking at a conference for Việt Nam trade offices abroad held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on April 28. The conference underscored that while global tariff tensions are creating hurdles, they also present opportunities for Việt Nam to restructure its trade strategies, boost innovation and expand its global footprint. Strengthened international cooperation, improved domestic competitiveness and agile policy support remain key to navigating this...

China, the European Union, Mexico, and Canada are among the United States’ largest trading partners and some of the most vocal opponents of the new tariffs. Their leaders and citizens try to create the illusion that they can do without the U.S. as a client, but the reality is different. There is no alternative market capable of replacing the American consumer. These countries already trade globally, and there is little room for world demand to grow enough to offset lost exports to the U.S.Their dependence extends beyond trade. They rely heavily on access to U.S. dollars, U.S. investment, and foreign...