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US-ally trade wars

US-ally trade wars
The latest news, analysis and opinion on US-ally trade wars. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One before departing Beijing on Friday. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump leaves China after much pomp and pageantry, but little to show for it

US president’s much-anticipated summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing resulted in more fanfare than concrete policy change, analysts say.

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Canada

Canada takes key step towards new oil pipeline to serve Asia markets

China trade

Asia needs ‘institutional toolbox’ to survive global shocks, China experts warn

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US-China relations

US confirms delegation to Apec meeting in China as Trump sets off for Beijing

US representatives to attend Apec trade and investment meetings in Shanghai and Suzhou this month as key Trump-Xi summit looms.

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Shanghai will host the second Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting this month. Suzhou will also host related Apec meetings. Photo: Shutterstock
United States

US finalises US$35.5 billion in refunds for illegal Trump tariffs

Customs and Border Protection has received 126,237 applications for reimbursements as of Monday morning.

US-China relations

Opinion | China shouldn’t view a tired US as signifying a Europe ready to pivot

As fractures within the US’ network of alliances deepen, China’s strategic window opens a little wider, with some key caveats.

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US-China trade war

Trump appeals latest court loss on tariffs as chaos and uncertainty amp up

Trump administration on Friday appealed court ruling that 10 per cent global tariff imposed in February was not justified by 1970s trade law.

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The Trump administration filed an appeal on Friday after the latest legal setback to the US president’s signature tariff policy. Photo: Shutterstock
China-Latin America relations

Lula won’t sideline China on rare earths, tells Trump refining stays in Brazil

In a three-hour White House meeting on Thursday, Brazil’s president pitched his country’s minerals to all comers.

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European Union

Trump gives EU until July 4 to ratify deal or face tariff hike

US president said he gave EU chief Ursula von der Leyen ‘until our Country’s 250th Birthday’ or tariffs would jump to ‘much higher levels’.

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China-EU relations

China-EU investment pact belongs in ‘deep freezer’: outgoing trade chief

Sabine Weyand says the 2020 agreement with China is obsolete as Brussels weighs action on ‘macroeconomic imbalances’.

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The volume of Chinese-made vehicles heading to Europe lies at the heart of EU concerns over industrial overcapacity. Photo: Xinhua
US-China trade war

Trump-Xi summit hides simmering trade tensions under the surface, experts say

Despite declarations of cooperation, friendship and respect from both sides, major trade conflict is brewing between the two superpowers.

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Despite politeness in public, there are fears that the future looks rocky for US-China trade. Illustration: Shutterstock
China-Latin America relations

China consul in Tijuana warns against protectionism as USMCA review nears

Fu Xinrong pitched Beijing’s model of shared modernisation to Mexican business leaders, weeks before a contentious USMCA review.

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Donald Trump

Trump to put 25% tariffs on EU cars, says bloc not complying with trade deal

The status of the pact was first put in doubt after the Supreme Court ruled the president lacked legal authority for his duties on EU goods.

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China-Latin America relations

Beijing backs Cuba, Chile reveals smuggling ring: Latin America relations reads

From a smuggling ring in Chile to rare earth wrangling in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in March 2026.

People walk past a mural with the Cuban flag in Havana, Cuba, on April 15. Photo: EPA
Donald Trump

Trump says he’s lifting some tariffs on Scotch whisky after King Charles visit

It was not clear if the US president meant duties on bottles of Scotch or on the materials used to produce the alcohol were being lifted.

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An employee moves a whisky barrel out of the Filling Store at The Glenturret Distillery in Crieff, Scotland, in February 2021. Photo: AFP
China travel

Canada’s push to rebuild ties with China hits a snag: a lack of direct flights

Canada has permitted an ‘incremental increase’ in flights to China, but airlines may be reluctant to add services amid the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

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India

India, New Zealand boost trade diversification with ‘forward-looking’ pact

The deal, part of a move to reduce reliance on major powers, will also strengthen India’s hand in trade negotiations with the US, analysts say.

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Canada

Canada PM hits back after Trump team demands ‘entry fee’ before trade talks

Washington is reportedly seeking concessions before agreeing to open negotiations on revising the US trade pact with Canada and Mexico.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP
US-China trade war

US firms dash to recover tariffs paid on Chinese imports as refund system starts

Companies scramble on Monday to recover illegally collected tariffs from US government as thousands rush to file claims.

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China-EU relations

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

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Canada

Canada’s Carney says economic ties with US have become a ‘weakness’

In a blunt video address, Canada’s prime minister promises regular updates on efforts to diversify away from the US.

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Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP
Donald Trump

Russia’s Lavrov says balance of power shifting to emerging economies

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov said the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by the US had ‘come to an end’.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a session at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Singapore balances national interest with rising anti-US sentiment

Negative public sentiment does not immediately translate to worsening bilateral ties as the US remains an important partner, experts say.

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Donald Trump

King Charles to charm Trump on state visit overshadowed by US-UK rift

The British king’s first US state visit later this month takes on far greater significance amid tensions between Trump and Starmer.

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China-EU relations

Brussels must resist ‘passive’ role in US-China trade war, EU chamber urges

European companies keep becoming ‘collateral damage’ in others’ disputes, laments president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

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Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said European companies have suffered “significant operational and financial damage” while trying to navigate Beijing’s export controls on rare earths. Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

Japan’s Trump tariff deal faces climate backlash over projects’ 20% carbon surge

Campaigners said the three US projects could generate greenhouse gas emissions equal to about 20 per cent of Japan’s annual total.

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US President Donald Trump met Japan’s economic revitalisation minister Ryosei Akazawa and his delegation in Washington on April 16, 2025. The meeting came as Tokyo sought relief from US tariff pressure. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Opinion | A stark clash of world views will overshadow Trump’s visit to China

As Xi and Trump prepare to meet, the divergence between their visions of global order has never been more acute.

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China-Latin America relations

Cattle prices rocket as Brazil set to exhaust Chinese beef quota by May

As Beijing tariff nears, Brazil’s exporters are rapidly reaching their quota for China, forcing South American industry to seek new buyers.

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