WASHINGTON — The dinner table diplomacy that Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping of China conducted over the weekend produced something as vague as it was valuable: an agreement to keep talking. Forged over grilled sirloin at the Group of 20 summit Saturday in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the ceasefire Trump...
Trade War Escalates as China Announces Tariffs on US Imports
BEIJING — The U.S.-China trade war escalated further Tuesday, with China announcing retaliatory tax increases on $60 billion worth of U.S. imports, including coffee, honey and industrial chemicals. The increases are in response to the U.S. announcing it will impose tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese-made goods starting next...
Valley Growers Hit Ag Secretary Perdue With Tough Questions
Stopping in Kingsburg during a Central Valley tour, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue heard concerns from representatives of dairy, fruit and nut growers. What was top of mind? Everything from the Trump tariffs to market access to immigration. Perdue made news: He said that the president is in negotiations...
Minus McCarthy, Valley Lawmakers Seek Tariff Relief for Ag
President Donald Trump's trade war is unifying a large chunk of California's congressional delegation on behalf of farmers. But notably absent from the coalition is House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who represents Kern County, one of California's and the nation's top agricultural producers. Valley Republicans David Valadao, Devin Nunes, and...
With Nut Harvest Coming, Valley Growers Weary of Trade War
With harvest season a few weeks away, nut growers in the Central Valley are already weary of new higher tariffs on some of their products, such as pistachios. And they worry that if the international market dries up, it could lead to a supply glut and falling prices. In addition, China...
Trump, EU Leaders Agree To Work Toward 'Zero Tariffs'
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and European Union leaders announced Wednesday they have agreed to work toward "zero tariffs" and "zero subsidies" on non-automobile goods and would work to resolve U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that have roiled European markets. The president, in a hastily called Rose Garden...
Valadao Among GOP Members Panning Trump Farm Aid Billions
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Tuesday it will provide $12 billion in emergency relief to ease the pain of American farmers slammed by President Donald Trump's escalating trade disputes with China and other countries. However, some farm-state Republicans quickly dismissed the plan, declaring that farmers want markets for their...
Farmers Fret and Wait as US-China Trade War Escalates
MINNEAPOLIS — Many anxious American farmers are delaying purchases and investment while hoping for a truce in a U.S.-China trade war that has left their crops at a competitive disadvantage overseas. The longer the Trump administration's tariffs remain in place, the more China's retaliatory tariffs against American exports stand to...
China Vows Retaliation For $200 Billion US Tariff Threat
BEIJING — China's government vowed Wednesday to take "firm and forceful measures" as the U.S. threatened to expand tariffs to thousands of Chinese imports like fish sticks, apples and French doors, the latest salvo in an escalating trade dispute that threatens to chill global economic growth. China gave no details,...
Smart Money Is Pulling Out of Stock Market
Cash exited U.S. equity funds in June in the largest amount since the peak of the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Lipper data. Reuters reported July 5 the following: "U.S.-based stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $36.3 billion in withdrawals overall for the month of June, according to...