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August's trade gap was the biggest in 14 years. That's probably good news

Oct 6, 2020
It's a sign that Americans have money to spend on consumer goods and businesses are importing parts for things they'll sell to consumers.
A container ship sits at the Port of Oakland in Northern California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Countries race to limit, ban exports of masks, ventilators, other gear

Mar 30, 2020
Individual governments have defended decisions to keep medical equipment at home, arguing they must take care of their medical workers and patients first.
A program to monitor global protectionism found governments placed 46 different export controls on coronavirus-related safety supplies and machines this year. Above, masks are produced at factory in Germany on March 12.
Thomas Kienzle/AFP via Getty Images

Trump puts liquefied natural gas in the spotlight as China raises tariff

May 14, 2019
The U.S. has been exporting less liquefied natural gas to China since last fall.
A worker welds a liquefied natural gas tank at a factory in Nantong in China's eastern Jiangsu province on March 14.
STR/AFP/Getty Images

Export-Import Bank might shake years of reduced powers

May 7, 2019
The Senate will vote on confirming three new board members who would enable the Export-Import Bank to perform its full mission. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.
People arrive for the U.S. Export-Import Bank's annual conference in Washington, D.C., in 2013.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. is drafting restrictions for high-tech exports

Dec 14, 2018
The restrictions could impact a variety of new technologies that have national security implications.
Container ships docked at the Port of Oakland are seen behind a locked fence in 2015 in Alameda, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

U.S. importer struggles to respond to trade war

Sep 25, 2018
A California-based importer of Chinese-made auto part says he has no choice but to pass the cost of new U.S. tariffs onto consumers.
A cargo ship stands in Long Beach harbor in California in 2012.
JOE KLAMAR/AFP/GettyImages

Lumber trade dispute and tariffs boost U.S. wood products

Sep 20, 2018
Prices for U.S. softwood lumber have jumped since tariffs against Canadian lumber took effect last year.
A machine piles pine logs for processing at the Montrose Forest Products sawmill.
Esther Honig/Harvest Public Media

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Consumers may not link tariffs and higher prices

Sep 18, 2018
How much do you pay attention to fluctuations in the prices of stuff you buy? There are new tariffs coming on some $200 billion worth of goods from China. They’ll start with a 10 percent tariff Monday and climb to a 25 percent tariff in the new year. Today, China immediately promised to retaliate with […]
Signs with the U.S. flag and Chinese flag are seen outside a store selling foreign goods in Qingdao in China's eastern Shandong province on Sept. 19, 2018. - China on Sept. 18 announced tariffs on U.S. goods worth $60 billion in retaliation for President Donald Trump's decision to slap duties on $200 billion in Chinese products next week. 
STR/AFP/Getty Images

Here’s how deficit-inducing tax cuts lead to trade deficits

Sep 5, 2018
The U.S. trade deficit in July surged to a five-month high, $50.1 billion, as exports of products like soybeans and civilian aircraft fell, while imports reached record levels. President Donald Trump regularly complains about trade deficits, but his own spending policies tend to undermine the goal of lowering the trade gap. One part of the […]

All tariff pain is local

Aug 8, 2018
Another $16 billion of tariffs on imports from China will take effect in a couple weeks — Aug. 23 to be precise. That announcement came from office of the U.S. Trade Representative yesterday. Semiconductors and various plastics are on the list. The reaction from China was swift and predictable in this tit-for-tat thing we’ve got going […]