In The News

China Hits Back at US on Trade: Bloomberg

Malcolm Scott, Kevin Hamlin and Tian Chen August 5, 2019
The trade war is not ending quickly and tensions grow after the US president announced a new round of tariffs as of September 1. China let the yuan tumble to seven per dollar, the lowest level since 2008. Donald Trump had accused China of currency manipulation, but China may be giving him a lesson in market forces - despite the risk for capital flight. China’s state-owned enterprises will also...

UK-US Trade Deal Not Easy: JD Supra

Sophie Berner-Eyde July 29, 2019
US President Donald Trump has suggested that he and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have plans for a “very substantial” trade deal. The UK cannot negotiate a trade deal until after it leaves the European Union, scheduled for October 31. “UK-U.S. preliminary talks on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) spanning the last two years, however, have failed to show any meaningful progress and are...

WTO Developing Economy Designation: Financial Times

James Politi July 28, 2019
Donald Trump wants the United States to lead in all trade matters and he is criticizing the World Trade Organization for allowing too many nations claim developing-economy status that provides special treatment. These benefits include “procedural advantages in disputes, softer tariff cuts, the ability to maintain export subsidies and weaker commitments in negotiations”. Trump specifically noted...

Six Foreign Policy Issues for Boris Johnson: BBC

James Landale July 24, 2019
Longtime Brexit proponent Boris Johnson is the UK’s next prime minister and he confronts a range of foreign policies besides Brexit. For the BBC News, James Landale offered a foreign policy to-do list: repair UK-US relations and replace the British ambassador described the Trump administration as dysfunctional; negotiate a trade agreement with the US while smoothing differences on China and Iran...

Trade War a Boon for Bangladesh: Bloomberg

Arun Devnath July 9, 2019
As the United States targets China in a trade war, clothing firms are taking steps to diversify manufacturing locations to spread risk. Inquiries from manufacturers are on the rise in Bangladesh, and one company expects its US exports to more than double this fiscal year. “The South Asian nation, which is the world’s second-largest garment exporter, has seen the value of its overseas sales rise...

US Under Trump Leads on Global Dealmaking: FT

Eric Platt, Arash Massoudi and Don Weinland June 27, 2019
The United States is dominating in what the Financial Times calls a record-breaking boom in global mergers and acquisitions. “Ambitious deals by large companies ranging from drugmaker AbbVie to defence contractor United Technologies, to oil group Occidental Petroleum, have driven US activity,” reports a team for the Financial Times. “Buoyant stock markets and cheap financing in the debt markets...

US-Japanese Defense Pact: Japan Times

Tomohiro Osaki June 25, 2019
US President Donald Trump relies on equivocation and impulsivity during negotiations and staff planning – to mask his intentions, seek leverage, and keep adversaries and allies on edge. A report suggested that Trump suggested terminating the 1951 defense pact with Japan, calling it “one-sided.” Yoshihide Suga, chief cabinet secretary, pointed out that Trump issued a denial and the two countries...