logo
China warns Trump's tariff war will have ‘no winners' as deadline looms

China warns Trump's tariff war will have ‘no winners' as deadline looms

Independent6 hours ago
Han Zheng warned, in an apparent jab at Donald Trump, that tariff and trade wars would have no winners even as Beijing and Washington stepped up efforts to resolve their disputes.
Addressing the World Peace Forum in Beijing, Mr Han said the multilateral trade system was key to avoiding disruptions in global supply chains.
He made the remarks just days ahead of the 9 July deadline for countries on Mr Trump's tariffs list to negotiate trade deals with the US.
The Chinese commerce ministry said this week that it hoped the US would continue to meet it halfway and maintain the stability of bilateral trade and economic relations, which nosedived earlier this year when Mr Trump imposed punishing import levies on the country.
'We hope the US side will deeply understand the mutually beneficial and win-win nature of China -US economic and trade relations," the ministry said.
It called on Washington to preserve the positive momentum on talks to resolve disputes while warning third countries against "making a deal at the expense of China 's interests' with the US.
China had retaliated against the Trump levies by suspending exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets. During a round of trade talks in Geneva in May, Beijing committed to removing the restrictions imposed since 2 April but the US said the critical materials were not moving as fast as agreed.
A breakthrough came during talks in London the following month when the two sides agreed a framework to implement the Geneva agreement.
'China is currently reviewing and approving eligible export licence applications for controlled items," the commerce ministry said, referring to the rare earth export curbs.
In response, the US took actions "to lift a series of restrictive measures against China' and 'informed Beijing about the relevant situation", the ministry said, confirming reports that Washington had resumed exports of chip design software, ethane and jet engines to the Asian giant.
"Teams on both sides are stepping up efforts to implement relevant outcomes of the London framework," the ministry said, calling the framework "hard-won".
US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg last month that China was 'going to deliver rare earths to us" and, once they did, the US would 'take down our countermeasures".
Thanks to this trade truce, China is not at risk of being hit with higher levies when the 90-day pause on the implementation of Mr Trump's tariffs ends next week.
But Mr Trump's trade deals with the UK and Vietnam suggest China may remain an indirect target, according to China Economics head Julian Evans-Pritchard.
"It seems that Trump is keen to crack down on the rerouting of Chinese exports via third countries, which has diminished the effectiveness of US tariffs," Mr Evans-Pritchard told Reuters.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump: I'll spare undocumented farm workers if bosses can vouch for them
Trump: I'll spare undocumented farm workers if bosses can vouch for them

Telegraph

time26 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Trump: I'll spare undocumented farm workers if bosses can vouch for them

Donald Trump said he will spare undocumented farm workers from deportation if their bosses can vouch for them. The US president floated the idea for the exemptions, which could also apply to hotel and restaurant workers, during a visit to Iowa. Legislation is already being drafted for the carve-out how to deal with undocumented agricultural workers with Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary. 'You know, they've had people working for them for years. And we're going to do something … we're going to sort of put the farmers in charge,' he said on Thursday night. 'If a farmer has been with one of these people that worked so hard – they bend over all day, we don't have too many people that can do that, but they work very hard, and they know him very well, and some of the farmers are literally, you know, they cry when they see this happen. 'If a farmer is willing to vouch for these people, in some way, Kristi, I think we're going to have to just say that's going to be good, right?' Mr Trump was repeating remarks he made earlier in the week. Underpinning the proposed exemptions is a dispute within the administration, with Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, pushing for concessions for farmers and their workers, while immigration hardliner and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller strongly opposes any concessions. At one point, raids on farms, meatpacking plants and restaurants were paused. But they were resumed again after immigration hawks, including Mr Miller and Ms Noem, leaned on the president. Mr Trump's remarks this week suggest that he could be leaning towards backing his agriculture secretary after all. According to the Centre for Migration Studies, there are around 283,000 undocumented farm workers in the US, with nearly half being employed in California; other estimates put the figure even higher. More than 80 per cent come from Mexico, with the remainder hailing from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Agriculture industry hit by deportation drive The Trump deportation drive has wrought havoc on the agriculture industry. Fearful of being picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as many as 70 per cent of farm workers in some parts of the country have been staying away. This has led to crops rotting in fields and labour shortages at meat-packing facilities. 'We do not have enough workforce in the United States to do manual work, to do those jobs that other people are not qualified to do and do not want to do,' Alexandra Sossa, chief executive of Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project, told Newsweek. 'For example, we are running into a problem where we do not have enough farm workers to grow the food we eat every day.' According to Farmonaut, an agriculture technology company, the stricter immigration polices are creating a labour shortage, which is putting up food prices. There is similar pressure on the hospitality industry, with hotels and restaurants heavily dependent on immigrant labour. Even Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago has imported foreign workers, with Department of Labour statistics showing that it applied for 136 H-2B visas for non-agricultural workers in 2023. Trump urged to fix long-term labour issues 'We are encouraged that the president recognises the valuable contributions farmworkers play in America's food security,' John Walt Boatright, director of Government Affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation told The Telegraph 'Farmers support a secure border and safe communities, and they also understand that without a stable workforce, it's not possible to get food from the farm to the tables of America's families.' 'We have not seen specifics on President Trump's plans, but we urge him and Congress to address long-term agriculture labour issues by revising overreaching regulations, modernising current guestworker programmes to allow for year-round access to employees, and fixing outdated wage rate calculations that put help out of reach for many farmers.' While the administration is willing to make concessions for these key groups of workers, there will be no let-up in ICE's activities. Within days of the announcement of an 'Alligator Alcatraz' to house deportees in Florida, Alaska, albeit tongue in cheek, suggested its large bear population could do a similar job in the frozen north. The state has the option of bidding for a slice of the $5 billion earmarked in the Big Beautiful Bill for the construction and renovation of ICE's detention facilities.

A ceasefire in Gaza appears to be close. Here's why it could happen now
A ceasefire in Gaza appears to be close. Here's why it could happen now

The Guardian

time30 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

A ceasefire in Gaza appears to be close. Here's why it could happen now

After nearly 21 months of bloody war, it now appears a question of when rather than if a new ceasefire brings a pause to the fighting that has devastated Gaza, destabilised the region and horrified onlookers across the world. On Friday, Donald Trump said he expected Hamas to agree within 24 hours to a deal that Israel has already accepted. Analysts predict a formal announcement after Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, arrives in Washington on Monday on his third visit to the White House since Trump began his current term. If a new ceasefire does come into effect, it will be the third during the war, in which about 57,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died. The first lasted just 10 days in November 2023. The second was forced on a reluctant Netanyahu by Trump in February this year and ended in March when Israel reneged on a promise to move to a second scheduled phase that could have led to a definitive end to hostilities. The terms of the new deal include the staggered release of hostages held by Hamas; freedom for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails; desperately needed aid for Gaza; and the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from some parts of the strip seized in recent months. Once again, the ceasefire will last for 60 days, during which time talks about what happens next will be held. Trump and regional powers are offering guarantees to reassure Hamas that Israel will not simply return to an all-out offensive and that meaningful discussions about a permanent end to the war will actually take place. One factor that has brought a new ceasefire closer is the brief conflict last month between Israel and Iran, which ended in a US-brokered ceasefire. That capped a series of military and political developments that had seriously weakened Tehran and the various militant groups it had supported around the region, which include Hamas. More important is the boost that gave Netanyahu. Though polls record only a slight increase in support for his Likud party and in his personal popularity, many Israelis nonetheless rejoiced in what was seen as a crushing victory over a much-feared foe. If Netanyahu brings the war in Gaza to what voters see as a successful, or at least acceptable, close, Netanyahu can stand in elections – probably next year – claiming to be the man who made Israel safer than it has ever been, even if few have forgotten the security and strategic failures that led to the Hamas attack of October 2023 in which militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200, mostly civilians. By the end of this month, Israel's parliament will have risen for a three-month recess and courts will also not sit, giving Netanyahu respite from the threat of a no-confidence vote or dissolution motion as well as from continuing cross-examination in his trial for corruption. This undermines the threats to collapse the government made throughout the conflict in Gaza by far-right coalition allies bitterly opposed to a deal with Hamas. Successive opinion surveys show that an agreement that brings back hostages would be very popular with Israelis, so this, too, would help Netanyahu in elections. Israeli casualties in Gaza – 20 soldiers died in June – are also causing concern. A poll published by Maariv, an Israeli newspaper, on Friday showed a further boost for the prime minister as hopes of a ceasefire rose. As for Hamas, analysts and sources close to its leaders say the militant Islamist organisation is divided, much weakened by the Israeli onslaught in Gaza and aware that it has few allies who can or will offer any practical support. The main aim of its leaders now is to retain some presence in Gaza, even a residual one. This alone would constitute some form of victory, and partly explains the determination with which Hamas seek a permanent end to the fighting. Whether it will get one is still not clear. Israeli media have been briefed by 'sources close to Netanyahu' that if Hamas cannot be disarmed in Gaza and its leaders exiled from the devastated territory through negotiations then Israel will resume military operations, and that Washington would support its decision to return to war. Many 'close to Netanyahu' also continue to support mass 'voluntary' emigration from Gaza, or the relocation of much of its population to an area in the south, or both. Recent days have been noisy with voices: American, Israeli, Saudi Arabian, Qatari and many others. Barely heard have been the voices of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel's offensive continues. On Friday, local officials and medics said Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians in the territory and another 20 people died in shootings while waiting at food points.

Law enforcement issues ‘lone wolf' July 4 attacks warning
Law enforcement issues ‘lone wolf' July 4 attacks warning

The Independent

time31 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Law enforcement issues ‘lone wolf' July 4 attacks warning

The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have issued a warning about 'lone wolf' attacks on the Fourth of July, according to reports. The agencies issued a joint bulletin in late June warning the public to stay vigilant, particularly if attending major July 4 celebrations, such as the Macy's fireworks display in New York City, according to an assessment obtained by CNN. Potential attackers could be motivated by the Israel–Palestine war, the agencies reportedly said. 'The most significant terrorism threat facing the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks stems from lone offenders and small groups of individuals seeking to commit acts of violence,' the agencies said in the Joint Special Event Threat Assessment, according to the network. 'Most attackers motivated at least in part by the Israel-HAMAS conflict have selected targets with a symbolic link to Israel, houses of worship, or locations associated with houses of worship.' 'Individuals with grievances linked to the conflict could also perceive large gatherings, such as Independence Day celebrations, as opportunistic targets symbolic of the West in general,' it continued. While it is not unusual for law enforcement to issue threat assessments and warnings before major events and holidays, recent high-profile events have prompted 'additional concern,' CNN reports. 'Special events with high attendance and media coverage … remain attractive targets' for those who may want to 'cause mass casualties or draw attention to their causes,' the bulletin added. The bulletin said the agencies were 'concerned' about the potential threat of 'copycat attacks inspired by the 2025 New Year's Day vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans' and foreign terrorist organizations who call for attacks against the West. On January 1, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck into a crowd of revellers on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring at least 30 others. The agencies also highlighted last month's attack in Boulder, Colorado, in the threat assessment. Mohamed Sabry Soliman has been charged with a federal hate crime and state counts of attempted murder after allegedly launching a firebombing attack on a group demonstrating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The DHS and FBI also warned of drones, which it said 'may pose a hazard to participants and attendees, delay events, and disrupt law enforcement.' There were 'no credible' reports of drones being used to target the Macy's firework show in New York, the agencies said, but they assessed there was some 'potential to increase public safety risks.' 'While we cannot on any specific product, the FBI regularly shares information with our law enforcement partners to assist in protecting the communities they serve, as well as with our private sector partners for awareness,' the FBI said in a statement to The Independent. 'The FBI always encourages members of the public to be vigilant and report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.' The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store