U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new 19% tariff rate for goods from the Philippines on Tuesday after what he called a "beautiful visit" by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the White House, and said U.S. goods would pay zero tariffs, Reuters reported. The new tariff rate is just below the 20% threatened by Trump earlier this month, but still above the 17% rate set in April when Trump announced what he called reciprocal tariff rates for dozens of countries. It matches the 19% rate announced for Indonesia and bests Vietnam's slightly higher rate of 20%.
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The U.S. Commerce Department imposed preliminary anti-dumping duties of 93.5% on Chinese imports of graphite, a key battery component, after concluding the materials had been unfairly subsidized, Bloomberg News reported. A trade association representing US graphite producers in December filed petitions with two federal agencies, asking for investigations into whether Chinese companies were violating anti-dumping laws. The new duties will add to existing rates making the effective tariff 160%, according to American Active Anode Material Producers, the trade group that filed the complaint.
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President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the U.S. will probably "live by the letter" on tariffs with Japan and may have another trade deal coming up with India, following his announcement of an accord with Indonesia on Tuesday, Reuters reported. "We have some pretty good deals to announce," Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House. He said he would also discuss trade issues with the Bahraini leader.
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Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto, confirmed on Wednesday the broad outlines of a trade agreement with the United States that was reached after what he called “tough negotiations” with Washington, the New York Times reported. Under the terms, which President Trump on Tuesday called a “great deal for everybody,” U.S. exports to Indonesia would face no tariffs, while Indonesian goods would be charged a tariff of 19 percent in the United States. Mr. Prabowo confirmed in brief remarks in Jakarta that the two nations had “finally” reached an agreement.
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Mexico's banking regulator slapped three financial institutions, which had been sanctioned by the U.S. for alleged money laundering, with more than 185 million pesos ($9.81 million) in fines in June, local media reported on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The U.S. Treasury last month prohibited certain transactions with Mexico's CIBanco, Intercam Banco and Vector Casa de Bolsa as part of fentanyl sanctions. The fines were largely related to money-laundering prevention, local media reported, citing data published by the regulator.
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The Trump administration announced on Monday a duty of about 17% on fresh tomatoes from Mexico, which account for two-thirds of the tomatoes eaten in the U.S., and the end of an export deal between the two countries, Reuters reported. The Commerce Department said the U.S. was withdrawing from a 2019 agreement with Mexico that suspended an antidumping duty investigation on Mexican tomatoes, whose exports to the U.S. are valued at $3 billion a year.
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The European Union on Monday accused the U.S. of resisting efforts to strike a trade deal and warned of countermeasures if no agreement is reached to avoid the punishing tariffs President Donald Trump has threatened to impose starting on August 1, Reuters reported. Trump, meanwhile, said that he was open to further discussions with the EU and other trading partners before new 30% tariffs kick in next month and that EU officials would be coming to the United States for negotiations.
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Much higher U.S. tariffs on imports from the European Union would further weaken already anemic growth in the eurozone, and likely prompt the European Central Bank to lower borrowing costs, the Wall Street Journal reported. President Trump on Saturday threatened to raise the duty charged on imports of a wide range of goods to 30% from 10% if the European Union doesn’t drop all of its tariffs on U.S. goods. The U.S. already charges higher tariffs for imports of automobiles and metals, and is considering additional duties on pharmaceuticals and other goods.
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President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose “secondary tariffs” on Russia’s trade partners “at about 100%” if President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a deal to end his invasion of Ukraine in 50 days, CNBC.com reported. “We’re very, very unhappy with them, and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs, if you don’t have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%, they call them secondary tariffs,” Trump said from the White House while meeting with NATO’s secretary general, Mark Rutte.
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