President Trump started tweeting between 4 and 5 a.m. this morning about the China trade negotiations, shortly after tariff rates on $200 billion of imports of China were hiked from 10 percent to 25 percent at 12:01 a.m. Additional tariffs could be in the works, but according to the president’s twitter account, so could a purchase of about $15 billion in commodities (destined for food aid donations). Following is a recap of how the tariffs have developed:
The 10 percent tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese imports were announced on 21 September 2018 and levied on 24 September. The 21 September announcement included an escalator clause that provided a tariff rate increase to 25 percent on 1 January 2019. On 19 December...
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...