President Donald Trump this week accused India of buying large amounts of Russian oil and selling it for profit, adding that he plans to significantly raise U.S. tariffs against the country.
The National Foreign Trade Council responded to the U.S. hikes in tariffs Aug. 1 (see 2507310081) by saying that agreements to remove some trade barriers are encouraging but "a great deal of work remains to be done to make sure they deliver on those promises and to accelerate efforts to remove discriminatory measures that were not part of those initial understandings.
Way2Go Cargo, a Florida-based freight forwarder, has accused two people who were affiliated with the company of violating the Shipping Act by running a competing business without obtaining a required license from the Federal Maritime Commission, according to a complaint filed with the FMC July 25.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in Stockholm, Sweden, that the Chinese delegation spoke too early when they said the two sides agreed to another 90 days at current tariff levels, because the president is the one to decide. However, in a later interview with CNBC, Bessent said the meetings had been "highly satisfactory."
The EU and Moldova struck a deal to update the terms of the EU-Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, the European Commission announced.
The U.S. and the EU reached a trade deal this week that will include a 15% U.S. tariff on most EU exports and will eliminate duties on both sides for other items, including aircraft parts and certain semiconductor equipment, agricultural products and more. The EU also will buy advanced American AI chips along with more American energy as part of the bloc’s effort to phase out purchases from Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The EU on July 24 published an updated list of retaliatory tariffs it may impose against the U.S. in case it can't reach an agreement with the Trump administration to reverse threatened U.S. duties on steel, aluminum, cars and other goods (see 2507140040). The list includes more than 200 pages of commodity codes, with increased duties of up to 30% on agricultural goods, aircraft, cars, medical devices and electronics. The retaliatory duties will take effect Aug. 7 if the two sides don't come to a solution, the EU said.
The U.K. and India announced plans last week to officially sign their new free trade deal (see 2505070036), which is expected to reduce tariffs for a range of goods and make it "easier and cheaper" for British companies to buy India's "best products," the U.K. said. The prime minister's office also said India’s average tariff on U.K. products will drop from 15% to 3%, saying whiskey producers will especially benefit from duties being "slashed in half," with further reductions over the next 10 years. The two sides signed a host of side letters under the agreement, and a 13-page document outlines the deal's chapter on customs and trade facilitation.
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., has subpoenaed the CEOs of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America for information on their roles in the initial public offering of Chinese electric vehicle battery producer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), the panel announced July 24. The banks were told to comply by Aug. 8.
The White House said in a fact sheet that Japan will immediately expand import quotas on rice, allowing for 75% more U.S. rice sales to that country's buyers.