The United States and China have agreed to temporarily slash reciprocal tariffs in a deal that surpassed expectations as the world's two biggest economies seek to end a damaging trade war that has stoked fears of recession and roiled financial markets, Reuters reported. The U.S. will cut extra tariffs it imposed on Chinese imports in April this year to 30% from 145% and Chinese duties on U.S. imports will fall to 10% from 125%, the two sides said on Monday. The new measures are effective for 90 days.
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President Donald Trump on Friday floated cutting tariffs on China from 145% to 80% ahead of a weekend meeting among top U.S. and Chinese trade officials as he looks to deescalate the trade war between the world's two largest economies, the Associated Press reported. Top U.S. officials are set to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation in Switzerland in the first major talks between the nations since Trump sparked a trade war with stiff tariffs on imports. “80% Tariff on China seems right!
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European leaders presented a united front in the US trade war on Friday, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying individual member states won’t strike side deals and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicating that a concrete proposal is needed for any serious talks with Washington, Bloomberg News reported. The comments underscore the EU’s strategy to stay together and speak with one voice as US President Donald Trump uses the threat of steep tariff hikes to persuade countries to sign bilateral trade deals that would be advantageous to the US.
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A group representing General Motors, Ford and Stellantis blasted President Donald Trump's trade deal announced with the United Kingdom, saying it would harm the U.S. auto sector, Reuters reported. British carmakers will be given a quota of 100,000 cars a year that can be sent to the United States at a 10% tariff rate, almost the total Britain exported last year, compared to 25% for Mexico and Canada and nearly all other countries. "Under this deal, it will now be cheaper to import a UK vehicle with very little U.S.
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President Trump announced an agreement on trade with the U.K. on Thursday, the first in what the White House hopes is a series of such developments since it imposed tariffs against allies and adversaries, the Wall Street Journal reported. Trump teased the announcement on Truth Social earlier, calling the agreement “full and comprehensive,” and added: “Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow!” U.K. officials said the pact isn’t a comprehensive trade agreement and will instead focus on reducing tariffs in specific sectors.
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The Federal Reserve warned that the economy faced growing risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation due to tariff increases when officials agreed to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. “If the large increases in tariffs that have been announced are sustained, they’re likely to generate a rise in inflation, a slowdown in economic growth, and an increase in unemployment,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. Tariffs represent a shock that can decrease an economy’s ability to supply goods or services while sending up prices.
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The European Commission will announce on Thursday details of its next countermeasures against U.S. tariffs should negotiations with Washington fail, European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Wednesday, Reuters reported. "Tomorrow we will announce next preparatory steps, both in the area of possible rebalancing measures, and also in the areas important for the further discussions," Sefcovic told a news conference in Singapore after the signing of a digital trade agreement with the Southeast Asian country.
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Vietnam's imports from China and exports to the United States both reached a post-pandemic record in April, amid talks with Washington to reduce Hanoi's trade surplus and a crackdown on Chinese goods being shipped to the U.S. via its territory, Reuters reported. The Southeast Asian nation faces the risk of 46% duties on its exports to the U.S. if the White House confirms this rate at the end of a global tariff pause in July. This could undermine Vietnam's growth model and hit multinationals exporting from the country, including Samsung and Nike.
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India has proposed zero tariffs on steel, auto components and pharmaceuticals on a reciprocal basis up to a certain quantity of imports in its trade negotiations with the U.S., Bloomberg News reported. Beyond this threshold, imported industrial goods would attract the regular level of duties. The offer was made by Indian trade officials visiting Washington late last month to expedite negotiations on a bilateral trade deal expected by fall this year.
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U.S. prosecutors said on Monday that UBS, which rescued Credit Suisse from the brink of collapse two years ago, would pay $510 million in fines for the role Credit Suisse played in helping clients evade taxes, the New York Times reported. Credit Suisse, among other moves, helped clients hide more than $4 billion from the Internal Revenue Service in at least 475 accounts, prosecutors said. Credit Suisse’s Singapore office was singled out for holding undeclared accounts for people who owed taxes. The bank pleaded guilty to, in the words of prosecutors, enabling “U.S.
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