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China has announced a package of tariffs on a range of American products in retaliation against a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports imposed by President Donald Trump.
It comes after Mr Trump agreed to suspend his aggressive tariff hike against Mexico and Canada by one month after speaking with his counterparts in both nations, but the threatened Chinese tariffs went ahead at 12.01am Eastern Time Tuesday.
Regarding Mexico, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had had a “very friendly” conversation with President Claudia Sheinbaum and that the soldiers “will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country”.
As for Canada, Trump said the country agreed to appoint a “fentanyl czar” and signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl backed by $200 million.
The deals temporarily avert what is projected to be a costly trade war between the US and its most immediate neighbours.
As markets weighed the risk, congressional Democrats protested outside the headquarters of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which the Trump administration has targeted for major cuts and a potential full shutdown.
China announces wave of tariffs on US goods
China has announced a package of tariffs on a range of American products in retaliation against a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports imposed by president Donald Trump.
Read the full developing story here:
Adam Withnall4 February 2025 06:04
ICYMI: Tariffs on both Mexico and Canada now delayed
President Donald Trump’s plan to unilaterally impose a 25 percent tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports appears to be on hold in both countries Monday after a series of phone calls between Trump and the leaders of the two nations.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to X (formerly Twitter) after what he described as a “good call with President Trump,” and said Canada was continuing to implement a $1.3 billion investment in security along his country’s long and largely unguarded border with America, including “new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl.”
Trudeau also said there are and already had been 10,000 Canadian personnel working along the world’s largest unguarded land frontier on protection-related duties.
Andrew Feinberg4 February 2025 06:00
Report: Trump administration will tackle Department of Education later this month
Several reports indicate Trump and his team will begin to tackle re-vamping the Department of Education, a target during his presidential campaign.
Some Republicans have championed for Trump to get rid of the Department of Education – a policy also part of Project 2025. However, it would require congressional approval.
Instead, Trump and his team may look at ways to defund the department or drastically reduce its size.
Ariana Baio4 February 2025 05:00
Elon Musk applauds idea of U.S. outsourcing prisoners to El Salvador
In a post on X on Monday night, Elon Musk seemed receptive to a highly controversial proposal to ship U.S. prisoners to El Salvador, a country which human rights observers have accused of violating human rights and carrying out mass arbitrary detention as part of a crackdown on violent and gang crime.
“Great idea!” Musk said, in response to a post from Salvadorian president Nayib Bukele, proposing to “take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently visiting El Salvador as part of a Central American tour.
Josh Marcus4 February 2025 04:51
Canadian border policies were issued in December
President Donald Trump touted that Canada would implement stronger border policies in exchange for pausing sweeping 25 percent tariffs on the U.S.’s northern neighbor, but some of those policies have already been in place.
In December, Canada announced a $1.3 billion investment in expanding drug detection technology and Canadian law enforcement at the border.
The new addition will be the appointment of a fentanyl czar, listing cartels as terrorists and launching a U.S. – Canada Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering.
Ariana Baio4 February 2025 04:00
US markets finish down after early morning drop amid concerns with Trump’s tariffs on global economy
The U.S. stock markets have finished down after President Donald Trump agreed to delay implementing trade tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by more than 122 points, and the NASDAQ fell about 235 points. The S&P 500 sank by 0.76 percent, following similar losses for markets across Asia and Europe.
The U.S. stock market had been on track for a much worse loss itself amid worries about how much pain U.S. companies would feel because of the tariffs.
Following an early morning slump, Trump agreed to delay implementing a 25 percent tax on Mexican and Canadian imports.
Rhian Lubin4 February 2025 03:00
Trump fumes about Wall Street Journal with Rupert Murdoch right next to him
President Donald Trump welcomed Rupert Murdoch to the Oval Office on Monday to witness him sign an executive order establishing a sovereign wealth fund. The president then proceeded to trash Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal while the right-wing media mogul looked on.
With Oracle founder and conservative megadonor Larry Ellison also on hand, the president declared that the executive order could help initiate the purchase of TikTok from the Chinese-based ByteDance. “I think it’s about time that this country had a sovereign wealth fund,” said Trump, who wants the U.S. to own a portion of the social media platform.
Justin Baragona4 February 2025 02:00
Bill Gates says Elon Musk has been ‘mean’ to him
Bill Gates has opened up about his relationship with Elon Musk, saying that despite their differences he hopes to collaborate with his fellow billionaire.
“He’s been nice to me at times, and mean to me at times,” the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist told The Independent. “I will try and work with him because he’s brilliant, he’s rich, he’s influential.”
However, they have also sparred in public, with Musk criticizing Gates for taking a short position on Tesla stock. He has also said Gates’s understanding of AI is “limited.”
Kevin E G Perry4 February 2025 01:00
What is USAID? The government agency Elon Musk said needs to ‘die’
Until a few days ago, most Americans might have gone their entire lives without hearing of the US Agency for International Development, the little-known government organization.
But for millions in poverty living around the world, the agency that Elon Musk has been attacking has been a crucial lifeline by providing needed humanitarian aid and other assistance — and for the United States, it has been a key element of soft power that has helped it counter the ambitions of authoritarian regimes for decades.
Andrew Feinberg4 February 2025 00:00
Susan Collins says she will vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard
Sen. Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, announced that she would vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard to be President Donald Trump’s director of National Intelligence.
In a statement Monday, Collins explained her rationale, saying specifically that Gabbard had answered Collins’s questions about Edward Snowden, who leaked information to the press about US surveillance programs.
“In response to my questions during our discussion in my office and at the open hearing, as well as through her explanation at the closed hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ms. Gabbard addressed my concerns regarding her views on Edward Snowden. I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to strengthen our national security,” she said in a statement.
During her confirmation hearing, Gabbard cited how Collins led to the creation of ODNI. Collins had expressed reservations about Gabbard’s views on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the US government to gather intelligence on non-Americans outside the United States.
But in the statement, she said Gabbard had answered her concerns.
Eric Garcia3 February 2025 23:30
Read More: Trump’s first trade war begins as China hits back on tariffs: Live updates
