China is launching a foreign-trade barrier probe on Mexico after the latter country announced plans this month to increase tariffs from certain non-free-trade-agreement countries, including a decision that will reportedly raise tariffs on Chinese cars from 20% to 50%. The investigation also will look into Mexico's duty increases for imports of Chinese textiles, clothing, plastics, steel, home appliances, aluminum, toys, furniture, footwear, leather goods, paper and cardboard, motorcycles and glass.
U.S. export controls on chips are working and should be maintained, not swapped in a trade deal as part of a “grand bargain” between the Trump administration and Beijing (see 2507150013 and 2508010002), said Rush Doshi, former National Security Council official during the Biden administration.
The EU and Indonesia concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and Investment Protection Agreement, the European Commission announced Sept. 22. The EU said the deals are a "key milestone" in "strengthening trade and investment ties with a major economy" and "creating new export opportunities and more secure supply chains for energy and raw materials."
Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, who recently led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Ukraine, Poland and Germany, called on House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Sept. 24 to schedule a House floor vote on the proposed Sanctioning Russia Act, which would impose additional sanctions on Russia and new tariffs on countries that buy its oil and gas.
Shipping industry officials last week called for a uniform, global set of rules and sanctions to address a rise in shadow fleet vessels, saying those tankers are presenting increasing safety and security risks for the maritime industry.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he and President Donald Trump discussed how to "decisively increase the pressure" on Russian President Vladimir Putin "to get him to agree to a peace deal."
When asked whether a broader trade agreement might be reached with China, beyond the current tariff truce, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said each of the four meetings has become more productive. There will need to be a fifth meeting before the truce expires Nov. 10, he told CNBC from London on Sept. 16. "I think the Chinese now sense a trade deal is more possible," he said.
After two days of talks between U.S. and Chinese officials, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that they and Chinese counterpart Vice Premier He Lifeng have a "framework" for a deal for China's Byte Dance to divest TikTok to U.S. buyers, and that deal will be completed on Sept. 19 as Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump talk about the divestiture.
President Donald Trump is getting closer to ramping up financial sanctions pressure against Russia for its failure to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine, said Keith Kellogg, the president’s special envoy for Ukraine.
President Donald Trump posted over the weekend that he's prepared to levy new sanctions against Moscow if U.S. allies stop purchasing Russian oil and potentially put in place other sanctions against the country.