China Calls Trump's Tariffs ‘Unilateral Bullying' and Vows Countermeasures
Trump said Wednesday the U.S. would impose an additional 34% levy on Chinese goods, on top of the 20% tariff on China that Trump imposed earlier this year. Those add to tariffs on Chinese goods from the first Trump and Biden administrations.
China has already retaliated against the 20% tariff but with relatively modest measures. The ministry didn't specify what further steps were planned. China exported $439 billion in goods to the U.S. last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, meaning the new tariffs, if upheld, would force a significant reshaping of the Chinese economy.
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Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A quick look back at this week's biggest stories
Here is a look back at the top stories of the week, if you're looking for a quick recap — as well as our best photo galleries and some stories away from the headlines. — Trump and Putin meet about Ukraine A much-anticipated meeting between the U.S. and Russian leaders on Friday ended without agreement on a ceasefire or a broader deal about the war in Ukraine. Read our analysis of the meeting in Alaska, and here is our story about reactions as they were coming in Saturday morning. You can also look at a report from the frontlines in Ukraine, where the defenders face big challenges. And watch an unusually animated President Putin respond to a shouted question from a reporter in Alaska. — Federal intervention in Washington, DC The Trump administration attempted to take control of the police force of the nation's capital, partially retreating on Friday after the city's leadership sued. The administration also deployed National Guard units in the district, saying it's to reduce crime. — Floods in India and Pakistan, and the war in Gaza Hundreds of people have died in flash floods in the mountainous districts of the two South Asian nations, caused by cloudbursts. Scientists say climate change is a contributing factor. A collection of some of our best photos is here. And in Gaza, hunger continues, now exacerbated by a lack of adequate drinking water as the Israeli government announces a settlement project that 'buries the idea of a Palestinian state'. — Away from the headlines If you want content away from the top stories, you mustn't miss the lost and found wallet of a Michigan autoworker, the 'Frankenstein bunnies' of Colorado, and the dwindling octopus populations of Spain's seas. Also, bugs have become popular pets in Japan. For our best visual journalism, look at the photos of the week, people celebrating the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in Kabul, Shiite Muslims in Iraq marking Arbaeen, and Zimbabwe taxi drivers showing off their love of Premier League soccer.
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ohioans came out strong for Trump — now they're bracing for his tariffs
COLUMBUS — In 1837, two brothers-in-law living in Ohio — one a candle maker, the other a soap maker — merged their businesses to form what later became the multinational juggernaut Procter & Gamble. Nearly two centuries later, the company — which makes everything from toothpaste to diapers — could be the canary in the coal mine as the U.S. economy wobbles under the weight of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff agenda. Procter & Gamble announced last month that it was increasing prices on its products. Many Ohioans say they are bracing for diminished business and higher costs as a result of tariffs, while others see Trump's plan as the only way to revive the state's manufacturing base. "I'm still confident that things still need to play out," said Mark Patterson in Springfield, west of the state capital. "And I think it's kind of a wait-and-see at this point." Patterson runs a small sheet metal fabrication business and has two other employees. He said he's seen a boost in orders and thinks it's a sign that companies are prioritizing American-made products. Trump has claimed that his steep tariffs on imports from around the world will accomplish many things: the restoration of American manufacturing, trade deals on the United States' terms and mountains of cash for the federal government. Canada was hit with 35 per cent tariffs but the levies exclude goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. The president also slapped high tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper and automobiles. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has said Ohio is likely to be the seventh-most tariff-affected state. Canada is Ohio's largest export market — the state sent $21.4 billion in goods north and imported $17.9 billion in Canadian products in 2023. Ohio is part of the integrated automobile sector that links Canada and the United States. Honda and the Big Three automakers — Ford, Stellantis and General Motors — employ thousands of workers in vehicle and parts manufacturing in Ohio, while smaller businesses in the state support the automotive supply chain. "The parts industry is very, very fragile," said Michael Gorman, a professor of business analytics and operations management at the University of Dayton. The industry works on thin margins and manufacturers can employ complicated logistics and delivery arrangements. Many companies in the auto sector stockpiled supplies as the tariffs loomed. Those supplies are running low now. Gorman said that while larger companies have more flexibility to switch suppliers for some components, smaller firms may not be able to survive. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has said companies with fewer than 500 workers will be hit especially hard by the duties. "When orders are unpredictable, then orders based on those orders are even more unpredictable because everybody's guessing what everybody else is going to do," Gorman said. "And right now, with the high level of uncertainty, it's not clear what the future holds." Ohio's auto industry isn't the only one with reasons to worry. Hoster Brewing is the oldest brewery in Columbus; it pulled its first pint in 1836. Ian Hansford, bar manager at Hoster, said profit margins are dwindling as the brewery gets hammered by tariffs on critical inputs like steel, aluminum and grain. "Our costs have gone up about 30 per cent just to craft beer from start to finish," he said. While the brewery hasn't increased its prices yet, Hansford said the current tariff climate is "not sustainable at all." "I think the … song and dance of the American government needs to end eventually, because it's only hurting American people," he said. Ohioans are proud of the famous businesses and brands with roots in their state. The Wendy's burger chain was launched here, as was KitchenAid, which assembled its first stand mixer in 1919 in Springfield. Goodyear Tire started in Akron in 1898. Residents also talk about Ohio's connections to General Electric, which recently announced it will invest $3 billion to expand U.S. manufacturing and create 1,000 jobs over five years. None of those new jobs will be in Ohio. U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, a former Ohio senator, has stood by Trump's tariffs and Sen. Bernie Moreno — like many other Republicans in the state — also has defended the duties. They promise the long-term benefits will outweigh the short-term pain. Ohio has long had a neighbourly relationship with Canada, said Democratic state Rep. Anita Somani. She said she's worried about the damage being caused by decisions made in the White House, especially since many Canadian companies invest in Ohio. "They don't know what to do," Somani said of the Canadian businesses. "A lot of the other companies aren't sure how to invest because nobody knows if the tariffs are going to increase, decrease, stay the same. And when you have that uncertainty (in your) cost of doing business, you don't do business." Manufacturing employment has been declining throughout the United States for decades, including in Ohio, but there have been some promising signs in the state lately. The Ohio Manufacturers Association said in a recent report that the state remains a manufacturing "powerhouse," citing recent investments and Intel's plans for a massive new computer chip fabrication plant. Intel recently announced it's slowing construction of the Ohio site. Behind that optimism is a landscape dotted with empty warehouses and shuttered factories — remnants of industries that have died or moved on. Ohio was long a swing state but has shifted over the last 12 years toward the Republican party, said Dan Birdsong, a professor of political science at the University of Dayton. In 2016 and 2020, Trump won Ohio by eight percentage points — that margin expanded to 11 points in last year's election. But areas of the state where Trump has seen his strongest support may also be the ones most at risk from his trade policies. Recent polling shows only 48 per cent of Ohioans approve of Trump on trade, Birdsong said. "You have some really strong supporters of the president, but also industries that might be more harmed by the trade practices," Birdsong said. "That's the question — with tariffs and with trade and the changes, is this going to have a negative impact on the regions where Trump saw a lot of his support over the last three election cycles?" All presidents are given a bit of leeway early in a term and Trump's most ardent supporters seem willing to give him time, Birdsong said. More traditional Republicans and the Independents who backed Trump in 2024 seem to be more wary ahead of next year's midterm elections. Birdsong said it may ultimately come down to voters' pocketbooks. "If the economy goes south, if it gets bad, then it puts the Republicans on defence," he said. "And allows Democrats to at least articulate a vision for why they should have some more representation." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
The Hill
9 minutes ago
- The Hill
Inside the fight to stop US from destroying $10M of contraceptives
Lawmakers and activists in Europe and the United States are scrambling to stop the State Department from destroying nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contraceptives have been sitting in a warehouse in Belgium for months after President Trump froze all U.S foreign aid and shuttered USAID earlier this year. 'They are not even close to being expired,' said Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, president and CEO of reproductive health rights group PAI, adding the government 'could redistribute them or could let an entity or a set of entities acquire them, but the administration has opposed that.' Lawmakers, activists and reproductive health nonprofits alike have decried the move as a waste of taxpayer money that will hurt millions of women and girls in the developing world. 'It's a death sentence that's written in policy,' Kazi Hutchins said. More than 75 percent of the stockpile was earmarked for five countries in Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mali and Congo, according to a report from the International Planned Parenthood Federation. The nonprofit estimates that if the supplies are incinerated, 1.4 million women and girls across those countries will go without access to life-saving reproductive care. The United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, tried to buy the contraceptives but was rejected, as was the London-based reproductive health care group MSI Reproductive Choices, a spokesperson told The Hill. Since then, the government of Belgium has tried to appeal to the U.S. Embassy in Brussels to protect the contraceptives. '[The Ministry of] Foreign Affairs is exploring all possible avenues to prevent the destruction of these stocks, including their temporary relocation,' foreign ministry spokesperson Pierre Steverlynck said. 'To avoid prejudging the outcome of these discussions, we are not in a position to provide further information at this stage.' Democratic lawmakers have introduced two bills, one in the Senate and another in the House, to force Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure that food supplies and contraceptives that have already been procured are sent to their intended beneficiaries before they expire. Dozens of lawmakers, led by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), have also sent a letter to acting Inspector General Arne B. Baker requesting an investigation into the mismanagement of the contraceptives. French family planning activists have rallied to try to stop the destruction of the contraceptives, and left-leaning French politicians have urged President Emmanuel Macron to intervene and take control of the stockpile. Several French female lawmakers, including the head of the country's Green Party, Marine Tondelier, wrote an open letter to Macron calling the cutting of aid for contraceptives 'shameful' and arguing that since the items are scheduled to be destroyed in France, France has a right to stop it. The French government contends it cannot legally save the contraceptives unilaterally. Mélissa Camara, a French member of the European Parliament who also signed the letter, called on the European Commission to intervene. The commission said it was 'monitoring the situation and exploring solutions,' according to The New York Times. The contraceptives were meant to be burned at a medical waste facility in France last month, but it is unclear if this has happened. PAI, MSI Reproductive Choices and other reproductive health groups are working to find out where the commodities are and when they will be destroyed, but they have received radio silence from the State Department and officials in Europe. 'It could happen in the next week or in the next several months, nobody really knows,' Kazi Hutchins said. One French family planning group, Le Planning Familial, told The Hill that the contraceptives have left the warehouse in Belgium and are headed to an 'unknown destination.' Le Planning Familial President Sarah Durocher said the organization is still applying pressure on the French government to save the contraceptives through petitions and social media campaigns. The earliest that any of the contraceptives in the stockpile are set to expire is in 2027, according to the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Still, a spokesperson for the State Department told The Hill earlier this week the agency made a 'preliminary decision' to destroy abortifacients — substances used to induce abortions — within the stockpile, but that no HIV medication or condoms will be destroyed. The stockpile is a mix of hormonal birth control pills, shots, implants and IUDs, none of which can be used to perform an abortion, according to reproductive health nonprofits with knowledge of the supplies in Belgium. One source who visited the warehouse housing the stockpile in Belgium told The Hill that they did not see any abortifacients among the supplies. Under federal law, USAID is also not allowed to purchase abortifacients. 'It's a lie,' said Sarah Shaw, associate director of advocacy at MSI Reproductive Choices. 'It's a blatant attempt to misrepresent a couple of contraceptive methods and to stigmatize the women who use them.' A spokesperson for the State Department did not respond to The Hill's questions about the stockpile or why they believe it has abortifacients.
