
Trump signs order extending China tariff deadline for 90 days, official says
WASHINGTON (REUTERS)US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order extending a pause in sharply higher US tariffs on Chinese imports for another 90 days, a White House official said.A tariff truce between Beijing and Washington had been set to expire on August 12 at 00:01 (04:01 GMT), but the Trump administration had hinted the deadline could be extended.The order prevents U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from shooting up to 145%, with Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods set to hit 125%, rates that would have resulted in a virtual trade embargo."We'll see what happens," Trump told a press conference, when asked how he planned to extend the deadline. "They've been dealing quite nicely. The relationship is very good with President Xi (Jinping) and myself."Imports from China are currently subject to 30% tariffs, including a 10% base rate and 20% in fentanyl-related tariffs imposed by Washington in February and March. China had matched the de-escalation, lowering its rate on US imports to 10%.
The two sides in May announced a truce in their trade dispute after talks in Geneva, Switzerland, agreeing to a 90-day period to allow further talks. They met again in Stockholm, Sweden in late July, but did not announce an agreement to further extend the deadline.

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The National
10 minutes ago
- The National
‘I felt useless and needed to do something': UK MP on letter to triggering Palestine recognition move
A call from a friend in Gaza to an influential Labour MP was instrumental in Britain's historic move towards recognising the Palestinian state, she has told The National. Just days before the UK government announced its first steps in recognising the state, Sarah Champion received a phone call from a friend who told the politician that after months of struggling to find food in Gaza 'my family are just waiting to die', and everyone they knew felt the same. 'To lose hope is a horrific thing, I felt useless and knew I needed to do something to try and restore it,' Ms Champion told The National. The next steps she took were to have a decisive impact on Britain recognising Palestine as a sovereign nation and influencing President Donald Trump's view that starvation was genuine in Gaza. Had to act quickly The call taken by Ms Champion, chairwoman of Parliament's international development committee, was on Wednesday, July 23. The situation in Gaza was visibly deteriorating, with pictures of starving children shared on social media. There was a growing consensus to rein in Israel's actions, she felt, including its plans to further annex occupied West Bank territories. With parliament heading into summer recess Ms Champion had to act quickly if she was to maximise pressure on the government. She knew that very senior cabinet members − including the Foreign Secretary David Lammy − were dismayed by Israel's dismissal of their concerns and had been quietly lobbying Prime Minister Keir Starmer for Palestine recognition. If she could garner enough cross-bench parliamentary support then that could provide the impetus for a major political step. Message blitz Ms Champion and her team went to work sending WhatsApp messages and emails to fellow MPs to sign a letter that called on Mr Starmer to recognise Palestine. 'I was amazed how many we got, and in such a short space of time – just 30 hours – but I think it is a clear representation of the strength of feeling in Parliament in support of the Palestinian plight,' she said. The following night, France suddenly announced it would recognise Palestine, and by 5pm on the Friday she had amassed a record number of 221 signatures from MPs representing nine different parties. 'UK recognition would have a significant impact due to our historic connections and our membership on the UN Security Council, so we urge you to take this step,' the MPs said. Key to the gathering of signatures was the respect held by fellow MPs from all parties for Ms Champion, who has been consistently outspoken on the plight of Palestinians. With this in mind, Mr Starmer knew he had to respond quickly and while he did not immediately agree, he did use new language condemning Israel's 'disproportionate military escalation in Gaza' that was 'indefensible'. 'Set the agenda' However, with US President Donald Trump landing in Scotland just a few hours later, now was not the time to initiate a political earthquake. But having the American leader in Britain was useful as he would be meeting Mr Starmer on the Monday, by which time after continued weekend reports of the grim situation in Gaza, 255 MPs had now signed the letter. The letter, according to Ms Champion, had 'set the agenda for journalists when Trump came to the UK', and this made the President more aware of the dire situation. In the press conference with Mr Starmer, Mr Trump stated 'that's real starvation stuff, I see it, and you can't fake that,' adding 'we have to get the kids fed'. The letter had been 'a significant factor in his comments around believing starvation was occurring in Gaza', claims Ms Champion. Indication of urgency More important was the letter's impact on the British government's decision on July 29, just after Mr Trump left Scotland, to set out its steps towards recognition. 'The letter gave them an indication of the urgency, and I am glad they listened,' Ms Champion said. While Britain's move was met with fury from Israel, she argued that it sent a 'clear signal' that the UK believed 'Palestine is a viable state and needs to be treated as such; with all the protections and rights afforded to other nations'. 'To have a two-state solution, you have to have two states,' she added. 'And the Israeli cabinet needs to understand the status quo is neither acceptable nor going to continue.' Israel also needed to secure a ceasefire and work for a lasting peace that 'enables both countries to feel safe and respected', added the MP for Rotherham, in northern England. Britain, unless Israel meets certain conditions will now be joined by France, Canada, Australia and Malta at the UN General Assembly next month in recognising Palestine, taking the total of countries that do so to 152.


Zawya
40 minutes ago
- Zawya
Trump cites 'major lawsuit' against Fed's Powell, again urges rate cut
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated his call for the U.S. Federal Reserve to lower benchmark rates, and cited "a major lawsuit" against Fed Chair Jerome Powell over renovations of the central bank's buildings. "Jerome 'Too Late' Powell must NOW lower the rate," Trump wrote on his social media platform. "I am, though, considering allowing a major lawsuit against Powell to proceed because of the horrible, and grossly incompetent, job he has done in managing the construction of the Fed Buildings." (Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones; writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )


Gulf Today
an hour ago
- Gulf Today
Trump deploys National Guard in Washington to reduce crime
President Donald Trump said on Monday that he's deploying the National Guard across Washington and taking over the city's police department in the hopes of reducing crime, even as the city's mayor has noted that crime is falling in the nation's capital. The Republican president, who said he was formally declaring a public safety emergency, compared crime in the American capital with that in other major cities, saying Washington performs poorly on safety relative to the capitals of Iraq, Brazil and Colombia, among others. Trump also said at his news briefing that his administration has started removing homeless encampments 'from all over our parks, our beautiful, beautiful parks.' 'We're getting rid of the slums, too,' Trump said, adding that the US would not lose its cities and that Washington was just a start. US Attorney General Pam Bondi will be taking over responsibility for Washington's metro police department, he said, while also complaining about potholes and graffiti in the city and calling them 'embarrassing.' For Trump, the effort to take over public safety in Washington reflects a next step in his law enforcement agenda after his aggressive push to stop illegal border crossings. But the move involves at least 500 federal law enforcement officials as well as the National Guard, raising fundamental questions about how an increasingly emboldened federal government will interact with its state and local counterparts. The president has used his social media and White House megaphones to message that his administration is tough on crime, yet his ability to shape policy might be limited outside of Washington, which has a unique status as a congressionally established federal district. Nor is it clear how his push would address the root causes of homelessness and crime. Trump said he is invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to deploy members of the National Guard. About 500 federal law enforcement officers are being tasked with deploying throughout the nation's capital as part of the Trump administration's effort to combat crime, a person familiar with the matter told reporters on Monday. More than 100 FBI agents and about 40 agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are among federal law enforcement personnel being assigned to patrols in Washington, the person briefed on the plans said. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Marshals Service are also contributing officers. The person was not authorised to publicly discuss personnel matters and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity. The Justice Department didn't immediately have a comment Monday morning. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, questioned the effectiveness of using the Guard to enforce city laws and said the federal government could be far more helpful by funding more prosecutors or filling the 15 vacancies on the DC Superior Court, some of which have been open for years. Bowser cannot activate the National Guard herself, but she can submit a request to the Pentagon. 'I just think that's not the most efficient use of our Guard,' she said Sunday on MSNBC's 'The Weekend,' acknowledging it is 'the president's call about how to deploy the Guard.' Bowser was making her first public comments since Trump started posting about crime in Washington last week. She noted that violent crime in Washington has decreased since a rise in 2023. Trump's weekend posts depicted the district as 'one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World.' For Bowser, 'Any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false.' Trump in a Sunday social media post had emphasised the removal of Washington's homeless population, though it was unclear where the thousands of people would go. 'The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,' Trump wrote on Sunday. 'We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong.' Associated Press