WASHINGTON — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traded policy complaints with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Friday, with Bessent telling Beijing to do more to curb fentanyl trafficking and rebalance…
more ...South Korea requests exclusion from US plan to increase tariffs
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korean officials have asked the Trump administration to exclude their country from U.S. plans to impose aggressive tariffs on trade partners, emphasizing that Seoul is already…
more ...US small businesses brace for effects of higher steel, aluminum tariffs
U.S. small businesses are waiting to feel the effects of President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum. Michelle Quinn reports. …
more ...China says it’s ‘doing its best’ to push for tariff negotiations with EU
BEIJING — China has been “doing its best” to push for negotiations with the European Union over its tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, a commerce ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, almost…
more ...Solar refrigerators in Kenya reduce food waste
NAIROBI, KENYA — Milk and egg vendor Caroline Mukundi has lost a lot of her stock in her years of selling fresh food at a Nairobi market. Mukundi said she had…
more ...Global benchmarks trade mixed as investors continue to eye Trump
Tokyo — Global shares traded mixed on Monday as investors continued to watch economic data and policy moves from U.S. President Donald Trump, as both are likely to impact upcoming central…
more ...Breakfast is booming at US restaurants. Is it also contributing to high egg prices?
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S.…
more ...China’s fuel demand may have passed its peak, IEA says
London — China’s demand for road and air transport fuels may have passed its peak, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Thursday, citing data showing that the country’s consumption of gasoline,…
more ...Trump pushes for lower interest rates alongside reciprocal tariffs
WASHINGTON — As his trade advisers finalized plans to enact reciprocal measures on every country that charges duties on U.S. imports, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he will push for lower…
more ...Zimbabwe to pay displaced, foreign white farmers
HARARE, ZIMBABWE — Zimbabwe’s government said Wednesday it will compensate foreign investors who lost assets in the country’s controversial land reforms in the early 2000s but were protected by bilateral investment…
more ...American EV makers adjust to possible end of federal tax credit
The latest offerings for electric vehicles take center stage at the 2025 Chicago Auto Show as some federal tax incentives could end. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh has more. …
more ...As tariffs take effect, Beijing and Washington look back to 2020 deal
New Chinese tariffs on a range of U.S. goods went into effect Monday, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese products last week. Tariffs…
more ...Trump signs executive orders on steel, aluminum tariffs
Washington — President Donald Trump moved to substantially raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Monday, canceling exemptions and duty-free quotas for major suppliers Canada, Mexico, Brazil and other countries…
more ...Trump to announce 25% steel, aluminum tariffs in latest trade escalation
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will announce on Monday new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., which would…
more ...Soaring egg prices in US pique interest in backyard chickens
NEW YORK — Thinking about backyard chickens as egg prices soar? Think hard, especially in light of the bird flu outbreak. Keeping home chickens as a pastime has continued to grow…
more ...Baltic states switch to European power grid, ending Russia ties
VILNIUS — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said on Sunday they had successfully synchronized their electricity systems to the European continental power grid, one day after severing decades-old energy ties to Russia…
more ...US stocks slide amid inflation, tariff worries
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks slumped Friday amid worries about higher inflation and tariffs, while a closely watched report gave a mixed picture of the U.S. job market. The S&P 500…
more ...US Postal Service briefly suspends inbound packages from China
washington — The U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday that it was suspending acceptance of inbound packages from China and Hong Kong, then reversed that decision Wednesday. The postal service “will continue…
more ...US Postal Service to accept inbound parcels from China, Hong Kong after suspension
HONG KONG/SEOUL/SHANGHAI — The U.S. Postal Service said on Wednesday it would accept parcels from China and Hong Kong, in a U-turn after a suspension following President Donald Trump ending a…
more ...Trump, Xi to discuss tariffs imposed on each other’s exports
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set soon to hold a high-stakes phone call on the tit-for-tat tariffs each has imposed on the other country’s exports.…
more ...Botswana, De Beers reach diamond sales agreement after years of negotiations
Gaborone, Botswana — The government of Botswana and South African diamond firm De Beers say they have reached a new, 10-year sales agreement following talks that had dragged on since 2019.…
more ...Facing tariff threats, India lowers import duties to signal it is not protectionist
New Delhi — With trade likely to emerge as the most contentious issue between India and the United States, New Delhi has signaled that it is moving to allay concerns of…
more ...Trump: Americans could face ‘pain’ with new tariffs on key trading partners
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that Americans may face economic “pain” because of new tariffs he is imposing on the country’s three biggest trading partners —Canada, China and Mexico…
more ...Fleet of abandoned ships is growing, leaving sailors stuck at sea
More ships than ever are being abandoned around the world by their owners, according to the United Nations’ labor and maritime organizations, leaving thousands of workers stuck on board without…
more ...Consumers brace for impact of China tariffs
washington — White House press secretary Karoline Levitt announced Friday that President Donald Trump would be implementing 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods and a 10% tariff on all Chinese…
more ...US economy grows solid 2.3% in October-December on eve of Trump return to White House
WASHINGTON — A humming American economy ended 2024 on a solid note with consumer spending continuing to drive growth, and ahead of what could be a significant change in direction under…
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