https://www.scmp.com/rss/521474/feed Jamieson Greer is the current United States Trade Representative, confirmed in February 2025. He previously served as Chief of Staff to the USTR during the first Trump administration (2017-2020), where he was instrumental in high-level trade negotiations. His responsibilities included implementing tariffs on Chinese goods and negotiating the US-China Phase One trade agreement. Greer also played a critical role in securing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). With a background as an... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Jeff Winton, a dairy farmer in upstate New York who grows much of the feed for his own cattle, stopped planting corn in 2022 when fertiliser prices spiked. “We just couldn’t afford the input costs,” he recalled. The surge began after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted exports of nitrogen, urea and other key fertiliser nutrients, with Russia, alongside its ally Belarus, among the world’s leading suppliers. As the war in Ukraine entered its fourth year, a separate conflict involving the US,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349712/high-fertiliser-prices-mean-more-soybeans-farmers-and-greater-reliance-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349712/high-fertiliser-prices-mean-more-soybeans-farmers-and-greater-reliance-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:11:24 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Next month’s US-China presidential summit will focus on trade rather than investment, reflecting a reluctance to remove all economic constraints, according to the top US trade official. “I don’t think we’re at the point in our relationship with the Chinese where we want to talk about the investment programmes either way, right?” United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday at a Hudson Institute event in Washington. He cautioned against “premature discussions” as the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349526/trump-xi-summit-set-limited-trade-focused-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349526/trump-xi-summit-set-limited-trade-focused-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:33:03 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Just weeks before a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Washington’s top trade negotiator signalled a cautious, tightly managed approach to China ties, ruling out a pre-summit visit to Beijing, favouring continued virtual engagement, and indicating no new push to expand bilateral investment. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated on Tuesday that preparatory talks with Chinese counterparts would take place virtually, ruling out an in-person... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349312/only-virtual-talks-no-new-investment-push-xi-trump-summit-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349312/only-virtual-talks-no-new-investment-push-xi-trump-summit-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:03:49 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Direct trade between China and the United States continues its shrinking trend, new US government data showed on Thursday, as the anniversary of “Liberation Day” highlights how last year’s tariff escalations deepened tensions between the two global powers. The figures come ahead of a planned leaders’ meeting in Beijing next month, where both sides are expected to explore ways to stabilise relations after a period of renewed economic strain, and just hours before he announced a fresh set of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:25:26 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Washington’s top trade negotiator suggested on Tuesday that, in a break from usual practice, members of US President Donald Trump’s cabinet will not visit Beijing ahead of the expected mid-May summit with President Xi Jinping to prepare or discuss deliverables. “I don’t think we’re going to need to do that,” Jamieson Greer, US Trade Representative, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television when asked about meeting his Chinese counterparts soon, ahead of the much-anticipated leaders’... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348590/trump-xi-summit-us-trade-chief-casts-doubt-pre-meeting-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348590/trump-xi-summit-us-trade-chief-casts-doubt-pre-meeting-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:19:16 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan As US President Donald Trump heads to a delayed, high-stakes mid-May summit with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, he is already claiming victory, touting on Friday past trade talks with Xi as a win for American farmers, a crucial electoral bloc battered by his tariffs and the ongoing war with Iran. “Thanks to our trade deals, you’re now sending over US$40 billion in American soybeans to China,” Trump said on Friday, telling farmers and ranchers at the White House he personally secured the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348219/trump-pitches-china-trade-win-us-farmers-ahead-xi-meeting-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348219/trump-pitches-china-trade-win-us-farmers-ahead-xi-meeting-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:21:27 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Beijing has launched two trade barrier investigations into the United States in response to a pair of Section 301 probes that allege unfair trade practices by China and other economies and could pave the way for Washington to reimpose higher tariffs. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the investigations would focus on US measures deemed harmful to global industrial and supply chains, including those that obstruct trade in green products. The ministry said in a statement on Friday that... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348193/china-launches-investigations-us-trade-practices-why-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348193/china-launches-investigations-us-trade-practices-why-now?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Dewey Sim Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Dewey Sim The official line is straightforward: US President Donald Trump asked for a delay to his long-anticipated summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and it has been pushed back by “a month or so”. According to the White House, moving the meeting allows Trump to remain in the US and manage the escalating war with Iran, including urgent efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But beneath the surface, a more complex story emerges: months of growing frustrations, mismatched expectations,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347008/what-are-real-reasons-behind-change-date-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347008/what-are-real-reasons-behind-change-date-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The United States’ inclusion of Southeast Asian countries among economic partners it intends to investigate for unfair trade practices is expected to push the region further from Washington’s orbit. The probes, announced last week, could lead to new levies imposed on countries, based on allegations of forced labour and trade surpluses, even as the Donald Trump administration rails against a Supreme Court ruling that shot down sweeping tariffs imposed earlier. Seven countries from the Association... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347044/us-trade-probes-risk-alienating-asean-casting-doubt-future-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347044/us-trade-probes-risk-alienating-asean-casting-doubt-future-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:28:55 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As trade tensions and new US tariff investigations rattle global supply chains, Southeast Asian economies are looking to broaden their options. But analysts say that the region’s deep links with the United States and China mean any shift will be gradual rather than a clean break – and may yet work in Asean’s favour. The disruption could accelerate supply-chain diversification, drawing more manufacturing to the region from markets such as Europe, India and the Middle East. For now, however, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346594/how-asean-can-loosen-dependence-us-china-amid-trade-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346594/how-asean-can-loosen-dependence-us-china-amid-trade-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China and the US ended the first day of trade talks in Paris on Sunday without any major developments. Talks will continue tomorrow when the US delegation is set to leave. The Chinese delegation will stay one more day before leaving on Tuesday. The first day of the sixth round of trade talks between the world’s two biggest economies – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – was rather uneventful for journalists waiting outside the venue, the headquarters... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346687/us-china-trade-talks-low-key-start-negotiations-after-first-meeting-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346687/us-china-trade-talks-low-key-start-negotiations-after-first-meeting-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:33:25 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The United States’ decision to launch Section 301 investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by China and several other economies – which could allow Washington to reimpose higher tariffs – is a “bluff” designed to give US President Donald Trump some perceived leverage ahead of his expected trip to China, analysts said. But the threat is unlikely to work on Beijing, which has grown used to the president’s “art of the deal” tactics, they added. “Trump’s move before his China trip is... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346365/trumps-tariff-investigation-bluff-will-not-work-china-analysts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346365/trumps-tariff-investigation-bluff-will-not-work-china-analysts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration on Wednesday opened a new trade investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries – an effort that comes after the Supreme Court struck down US President Donald Trump’s previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency. Trump and his team have made clear that they’re seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the Supreme Court’s February ruling by using different laws to establish new tariffs. In this case, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346279/us-launches-trade-probe-china-and-eu-bid-revive-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346279/us-launches-trade-probe-china-and-eu-bid-revive-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 23:46:48 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that President Donald Trump’s plan to increase a broad 10 per cent tariff rate to 15 per cent is likely to be implemented this week. “That’s likely sometime this week,” Bessent said on Wednesday on CNBC in response to a question about when the increase to 15 per cent would be made. Bessent’s comments offer the clearest indication yet regarding when the US will follow through on Trump’s pledge to raise tariffs. The president last month imposed a 10 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345479/trumps-15-global-tariffs-likely-start-week-us-treasury-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345479/trumps-15-global-tariffs-likely-start-week-us-treasury-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:14:01 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US and Chinese trade negotiators are slated to meet in mid-March, according to people familiar with the matter, signalling that a planned summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping is pushing ahead despite American strikes against Iran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng are expected to convene in Paris at the end of next week to discuss business deals that could stem from the leaders’ meeting, said the people who... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345326/us-and-china-trade-chiefs-meet-mid-march-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345326/us-and-china-trade-chiefs-meet-mid-march-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:35:28 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda sharpens and, in some ways, reshapes Washington’s approach to Beijing, blending enforcement with a new emphasis on “managed” trade between the world’s two largest economies. United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer delivered the 2026 Trade Policy Agenda and 2025 Annual Report to Congress on Monday, highlighting a significant shift in the US-China trade relationship. Managing trade with China for “reciprocity and balance” is one... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3345191/trumps-2026-trade-agenda-sharpens-push-managed-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3345191/trumps-2026-trade-agenda-sharpens-push-managed-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:45:28 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The United States Supreme Court, which dealt a serious blow to US President Donald Trump’s tariff-based trade policy, may have helped to steady the rocky trade ties between China and the United States ahead of a crucial summit meeting. In a stunning decision that cut across ideological blocs, six out of the nine justices ruled that Trump lacked the authority to impose the emergency tariffs he did last year on nearly all imports into the US, including the so-called reciprocal duties on dozens of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344879/china-now-holds-more-cards-ahead-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344879/china-now-holds-more-cards-ahead-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 23:15:16 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Washington will keep China tariffs at their current level as the Trump administration seeks “continuity” after the Supreme Court struck down the levies it imposed last year, according to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, weeks ahead of a high-stakes meeting between the two countries’ leaders. The US will keep in place current China tariffs, which have varied from 35 per cent to 50 per cent depending on the product, since the countries “de-escalated” the trade war last year, Greer said on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344658/us-keep-china-trade-tariffs-steady-ahead-key-trump-xi-meeting-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344658/us-keep-china-trade-tariffs-steady-ahead-key-trump-xi-meeting-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:11:22 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer issued a statement on President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a new levy after the Supreme Court struck down “reciprocal” and fentanyl tariffs imposed last year. The 10 per cent global tariff takes effect today and will run for 150 days. After announcing the levy, Trump had said it would be raised to 15 per cent. Ambassador Greer's Statement on Supreme Court IEEPA Decision by scmp https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344433/us-trade-chiefs-statement-trumps-global-tariff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344433/us-trade-chiefs-statement-trumps-global-tariff?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 07:20:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration reached a trade deal with Taiwan on Thursday, with Taiwan agreeing to remove or reduce 99 per cent of its tariff barriers, the office of the US Trade Representative said. The agreement comes as the US remains reliant on Taiwan for its production of computer chips, the exporting of which contributed to a trade imbalance of nearly US$127 billion during the first 11 months of 2025, according to the Census Bureau. Taiwan’s exports to the US will be taxed at a 15 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343386/trump-admin-signs-trade-deal-lower-taiwans-tariff-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343386/trump-admin-signs-trade-deal-lower-taiwans-tariff-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:30:16 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump is privately musing about exiting the North American trade pact, people familiar with the matter said, injecting further uncertainty about the deal’s future into pivotal renegotiations involving the US, Canada and Mexico. The president has asked aides why he shouldn’t withdraw from the agreement, which he signed during his first term, though he has stopped short of flatly signalling that he will do so, according to the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343375/trump-privately-weighs-quitting-usmca-trade-pact-he-negotiated-risking-us2-trillion-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343375/trump-privately-weighs-quitting-usmca-trade-pact-he-negotiated-risking-us2-trillion-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:06:21 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Khushboo Razdan Xinmei Shen,Khushboo Razdan The White House’s top trade official has accused Beijing of “weaponising” its dominance in critical minerals, pledging that the US will use pricing, tariffs, and industrial policy to ensure its entire critical minerals supply chain is in the hands of America and its allies. Speaking at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Tuesday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the US needed to mine, process and refine critical minerals, and called on its allies to do... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342305/top-us-trade-official-spells-out-plan-break-chinas-grip-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342305/top-us-trade-official-spells-out-plan-break-chinas-grip-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 02:13:26 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is bracing for prolonged US tariff pressure after last week’s emergency talks in Washington failed to yield a breakthrough, exposing the growing uncertainty that has come to define trade ties under US President Donald Trump. Korean Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan returned home empty-handed on Sunday after two rounds of meetings with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, fuelling concern in Seoul that negotiations could drag on until the US midterm elections later this year. Trump... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342130/tariff-pain-looms-south-korea-after-us-talks-hit-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342130/tariff-pain-looms-south-korea-after-us-talks-hit-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The World Trade Organization has faulted the United States in a dispute brought by China over US green energy subsidies introduced under former US president Joe Biden, according to a ruling issued on Friday. The global trade body’s dispute panel said that large tax credits granted under Biden’s landmark climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), were “inconsistent” with several WTO agreements and should be withdrawn. That law, which was signed by Biden in 2022, was the largest climate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341903/wto-faults-us-dispute-brought-china-over-clean-energy-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341903/wto-faults-us-dispute-brought-china-over-clean-energy-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:11:56 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Beijing and Ottawa reached a “landmark” trade agreement last week, slashing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, in a move analysts said further cements China’s dominance and suggests the US decline in the global EV market. The deal will open Canada up to Chinese EVs, signalling a thaw in diplomatic relations and a major break from the US. The bilateral partnership marks a shift in direction for Canada’s automotive industry, coming during a month that saw China’s BYD topple Tesla as the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340746/beijing-ottawa-deal-reinforces-chinas-dominance-ev-industry-expense-us-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340746/beijing-ottawa-deal-reinforces-chinas-dominance-ev-industry-expense-us-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:11:32 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Luna Sun Ralph Jennings,Luna Sun Chinese and US negotiators are expected to discuss stepping up trade in AI chips and farm products, as well as what to do later this year when their hard-fought 2025 truce expires – all before President Donald Trump visits China for the first time in his current term, analysts said on Wednesday. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested on Tuesday that the pieces were in place for an April summit in Beijing between Trump and President Xi Jinping, as announced by the US leader in late... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340710/chips-soybeans-tariffs-whats-tap-us-china-talks-trumps-next-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340710/chips-soybeans-tariffs-whats-tap-us-china-talks-trumps-next-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han US President Donald Trump on Friday brushed aside concerns over a Canada-China trade deal involving Ottawa agreeing to reduce tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, saying it was “a good thing” for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to pursue the deal. “That’s OK. That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump said, when asked about the agreement announced earlier in the day. The remarks not only... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340232/trump-shrugs-concerns-over-canada-china-ev-deal-calls-it-good-thing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340232/trump-shrugs-concerns-over-canada-china-ev-deal-calls-it-good-thing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 22:55:15 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow US President Donald Trump will seek critical-mineral deals with other countries, rather than immediately imposing tariffs, as he strives to loosen China’s stranglehold on global supplies. Trump intends to “negotiate agreements with foreign nations to ensure the United States has adequate critical mineral supplies and to mitigate the supply chain vulnerabilities as quickly as possible”, he said in a proclamation released on Wednesday. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3340013/trump-tackles-chinas-rare-earth-grip-talks-instead-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3340013/trump-tackles-chinas-rare-earth-grip-talks-instead-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:04:15 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump has put allies and trade partners on notice, invoking national security powers to ease China’s chokehold on critical minerals, warning global suppliers to negotiate agreements to secure reliable, diversified supplies for the US or face new trade barriers, including tariffs. In a proclamation signed on Wednesday, the “America first” president declared that the US’ reliance on foreign-processed critical minerals poses a national security threat. He directed US Trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339939/trump-sets-180-day-deadline-counter-chinas-control-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339939/trump-sets-180-day-deadline-counter-chinas-control-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:09:22 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Indonesia said it has resolved all substantive issues in trade talks with the US and is on course to sign an agreement in late January, removing a major source of uncertainty for Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. Both countries have aligned on the “crucial issues” in their draft agreement, protecting the mutual interests of both parties, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said in an online presentation on Tuesday, after meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337450/prabowo-trump-sign-indonesia-us-trade-deal-january-issues-resolved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337450/prabowo-trump-sign-indonesia-us-trade-deal-january-issues-resolved?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 06:28:21 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan China is estimated to have secured more than half of the 12 million tonnes of soybeans that Washington says Beijing committed to purchase by early 2026, based on US government data and market conventions that analysts say usually indicate China, though little has been shipped so far, heightening concerns over potential cancellations. While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially documented nearly 4 million tonnes in sales explicitly to China, 3 million metric tonnes currently sit... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336977/china-reportedly-sticking-its-soybean-deal-us-worries-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336977/china-reportedly-sticking-its-soybean-deal-us-worries-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 22:28:36 +0000 Frank Chen,Kandy Wong Frank Chen,Kandy Wong It has been a turbulent year for the fraught US-China relationship. In the second story in this new series, we look back at the events of 2025, examining how the trade war tested policymakers and firms, forcing a rethink in business, strategy and supply chains. In April, when US President Donald Trump upended global trade by announcing “reciprocal tariffs” on almost all the country’s trading partners, officials in eastern China’s Ningbo – a national export hub – went on a wartime footing. Across... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336670/surviving-shocks-what-china-and-us-learned-2025s-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336670/surviving-shocks-what-china-and-us-learned-2025s-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 22:00:35 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell It is almost eight years since US President Donald Trump first declared that “trade wars are good, and easy to win”. How much longer will it take him and his tariff hawks to eat those words, and acknowledge the crass economic illiteracy of that conviction? How high a price must everyone pay – in particular, US consumers – before he calls off his tariff war? As America’s Christmas shopping season gets into full swing, typically accounting for around one third of US retailers’ annual profits, the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336113/us-christmas-shoppers-are-paying-high-price-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336113/us-christmas-shoppers-are-paying-high-price-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo China is on track to slash its reliance on imported soybeans to less than 30 per cent within a decade, from the current 90 per cent, research from Goldman Sachs suggests, as Beijing accelerates efforts to shore up self-sufficiency – including inoculating its food supply against trade shocks. Demand-management strategies for the crop – a vital source of cooking oil and animal feed, as well as a key commodity at the centre of Beijing’s trade relations with Washington – reduced annual consumption... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3336111/chinas-food-security-push-slash-soy-imports-two-thirds-decade-goldman-sachs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3336111/chinas-food-security-push-slash-soy-imports-two-thirds-decade-goldman-sachs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 03:00:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Despite a high-level phone call between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 2025 is likely to end without the long-promised US-India trade deal, as the “America first” leader continues to stall the agreement while working to cement improved ties with Beijing. The call came just days after Modi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the Indian Prime Minister described his conversation with Trump as “warm and engaging” in a social media post,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336135/trump-and-modi-have-warm-phone-call-2025-unlikely-end-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336135/trump-and-modi-have-warm-phone-call-2025-unlikely-end-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:00:52 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US seeks ‘constructive’ reset with China as trade tensions ease: Greer US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says the United States is striving for a more “constructive” relationship with China after this year’s trade war, even as disputes over minerals and AI chips persist. 2. US commission wants more Mandarin language courses to curb Beijing’s sway A... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336101/us-signals-china-reset-beijing-endorsed-reincarnation-tibet-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336101/us-signals-china-reset-beijing-endorsed-reincarnation-tibet-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 13:15:07 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A plunge in the value of the Indian rupee to record lows over the past week, making it Asia’s worst-performing currency, could be a mixed blessing for the South Asian economy as it pushes to finalise a trade deal with the United States, observers say. The rupee depreciated beyond 90 to the US dollar this week, deepening a slide that began last week. While the currency’s weakness is driving up the cost of essentials such as oil imports and overseas tuition, it has also brought some short-term... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3336033/why-indias-currency-slide-creating-us-tariff-relief-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3336033/why-indias-currency-slide-creating-us-tariff-relief-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:30:13 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang The United States is striving for a more “constructive” relationship with China after this year’s trade war and will continue to pursue a “managed” bilateral trade relationship, its chief trade envoy said, despite concerns lingering over China’s grip on critical minerals and pushback over the White House’s recent approval of H200 AI chip sales. The comments by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer came after Beijing and Washington fought fiercely throughout the year over tariffs. The Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3335970/us-seeks-constructive-reset-china-trade-tensions-ease-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3335970/us-seeks-constructive-reset-china-trade-tensions-ease-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:51:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters Mexico’s lower house early Wednesday approved tariffs of up to 50 per cent next year on imports from China and several other Asian countries, aiming to boost domestic production and address trade imbalances. With 281 votes in favour, 24 against, and 149 abstentions, the chamber passed the bill, which still requires Senate approval, despite opposition from China and local business groups. The proposal would impose or raise tariffs – mostly up to 35 per cent – throughout 2026 on goods such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3335962/mexico-lawmakers-approve-tariff-increase-chinese-and-other-asian-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3335962/mexico-lawmakers-approve-tariff-increase-chinese-and-other-asian-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:53:41 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is set to speak with a top Indonesian official this week in hopes of salvaging a trade framework at risk of collapsing, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Greer will speak to Airlangga Hartarto, the Indonesian coordinating minister for economic affairs, in an effort to revive a deal struck in July that would see US tariffs on Indonesian goods reduced from a threatened 32 per cent to 19 per cent in exchange for a series of concessions. But US officials... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3335824/us-says-indonesia-backtracking-trade-pledges-trump-deal-risks-falling-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3335824/us-says-indonesia-backtracking-trade-pledges-trump-deal-risks-falling-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 01:10:48 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump met with the leaders of Mexico and Canada to discuss trade issues on Friday after the leaders hosted the 2026 World Cup draw at Washington’s storied Kennedy Centre. The White House said Trump held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after the star-studded event, but gave no details on their discussions. Canadian media said the meeting lasted for 45 minutes and the leaders spoke on their own, with no staff present. Trump... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335433/trump-talks-trade-canada-mexico-leaders-world-cup-draw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335433/trump-talks-trade-canada-mexico-leaders-world-cup-draw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 23:44:28 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang Beijing and Washington held a call on Friday to discuss bilateral trade and economic ties, as a variety of practical issues – from soybean orders to computer chips – remain problematic despite the trade truce in October. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng’s video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was part of a bilateral negotiation mechanism started this year to address issues between the world’s two largest economies. The two sides had... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3335425/chinas-he-lifeng-holds-constructive-call-trump-officials-bessent-and-greer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3335425/chinas-he-lifeng-holds-constructive-call-trump-officials-bessent-and-greer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 18:59:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump could decide next year to withdraw from the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), Politico reported on Thursday, citing US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. “The president’s view is he only wants deals that are a good deal. The reason why we built a review period into USMCA was in case we needed to revise it, review it or exit it,” Greer told Politico’s White House bureau chief Dasha Burns in a podcast episode that will be broadcast on Friday. Greer... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335256/trump-could-decide-next-year-withdraw-usmca-says-us-trade-representative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335256/trump-could-decide-next-year-withdraw-usmca-says-us-trade-representative?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:12:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United States and Britain announced a deal on Monday to secure zero tariffs on British pharmaceutical products and medical technology in return for Britain spending more on medicines and overhauling how it values drugs. Under the agreement, Britain will raise the net price it pays for new US medicines by 25 per cent. In return, UK-made medicines, drug ingredients and medical technology will be exempt from Section 232 sectoral tariffs and any future Section 301 country tariffs. “The United... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334813/us-uk-deal-slashes-tariffs-medicines-boosting-nhs-spending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334813/us-uk-deal-slashes-tariffs-medicines-boosting-nhs-spending?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:15:50 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Both China and the European Union have signalled that a dispute over semiconductor maker Nexperia should be resolved at the corporate level, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce, as affected countries continue to seek a solution to supply-chain disruptions. The push for a corporate resolution came after two separate video conferences that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao had on Wednesday – with German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche and European Commissioner for Trade Maros... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3334389/china-eu-push-nexperia-and-chinese-owner-end-corporate-dispute-amid-chip-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3334389/china-eu-push-nexperia-and-chinese-owner-end-corporate-dispute-amid-chip-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:00:20 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham As they look to keep the United States engaged in Ukraine and push for lower trade tariffs, EU ministers lobbied their US counterparts for joint policies on China on Monday – even as new public opinion polling shows a waning appetite for such a partnership. The China carrot was dangled by successive ministers ahead of and after a meeting of the bloc’s trade council in Brussels, which was attended by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. This is despite... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334031/eu-ministers-court-trump-joint-china-policy-even-public-scepticism-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334031/eu-ministers-court-trump-joint-china-policy-even-public-scepticism-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 06:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States and Switzerland said on Friday that they had reached an agreement to sharply lower tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, with the Alpine nation vowing to invest US$200 billion in the US to win over the White House. The deal was announced a day after talks in Washington, where Swiss economy minister Guy Parmelin visited in hopes of easing steep duties the Trump administration rolled out this year. Trump shocked Switzerland in August when he slapped an added 39 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332884/trumps-tariffs-us-and-switzerland-reach-trade-deal-after-rolex-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332884/trumps-tariffs-us-and-switzerland-reach-trade-deal-after-rolex-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:34:00 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The decision to suspend new port fees on Chinese-built, owned, or operated vessels starting on Monday has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who say it undercuts US President Donald Trump’s claims of being tough on China. They are not alone in pushing back. While shippers see the move easing costs and boosting trade, labour unions are warning that it could weaken American maritime leverage, send the wrong signal to Beijing, and contradict the administration’s own rhetoric on holding China... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3332258/us-china-port-fee-suspension-draws-major-backlash-well-huge-relief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3332258/us-china-port-fee-suspension-draws-major-backlash-well-huge-relief?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 22:39:36 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A group of trade unions led by the United Steelworkers slammed the Trump administration for suspending port fees on Chinese ships that workers argued would bring about a revival in the once-dominant domestic shipbuilding industry. The unions expressed “strong disappointment” with the administration’s decision and said it would have negative consequences in the nation’s attempt to restore the US maritime sector, according to a letter sent to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The letter,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332078/us-unions-slam-trump-giving-china-pass-shipbuilding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332078/us-unions-slam-trump-giving-china-pass-shipbuilding?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 22:23:26 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han Long-simmering debates in Washington about the benefits of increased investment from China were revived in recent weeks after Beijing reportedly pushed US President Donald Trump’s administration to roll back national security restrictions on Chinese deals in America. But despite signs of high-level political warming to the idea, analysts say the path forward for Chinese firms remains steep given federal and state restrictions and the realities of congressional and local politics. China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3331336/can-chinese-investment-still-find-home-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3331336/can-chinese-investment-still-find-home-america?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:00:09 +0000