Trump’s demands thus far appear aimed at big companies and their significant profits — echoing former President Joe Biden’s populist “greedflation” mantra, which accused companies that raised prices of taking advantage of the inflation crisis throughout much of his term. “Walmart made “BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected,” Trump posted on social … Read More

One major point of contention in the Japan-US negotiations has been the massive imbalance in car sales between the second and third biggest car-making countries in the world. Toyota alone sold over 2.3 million cars in the US last year, and around a quarter of those were imported from Japan. Conversely, the number of GM … Read More

Moreover, 38% of the marketers polled have already shifted sourcing/manufacturing or plan to do so in the next 12 months. And 52% are exploring such shifts, while 68% are adjusting their holiday-season marketing. Another 39% are pursuing “Made in USA” or local sourcing themes in their marketing. Read the article.

Walmart’s business in the United States remains strong, despite tariffs and recession fears, and the company may benefit from the trade war. “We are equipped to manage this as well or better than other retailers,” finance chief Rainey said on a call with analysts. Sales at stores open for at least a year grew 4.5% … Read More

Reuters is reporting that Kraft Heinz, maker of ketchup and Kool-Aid and Philadelphia cream cheese, is planning to invest $3 billion to upgrade its U.S. factories to help lower costs, partly due to tariffs. Kraft Heinz has 30 plants here, and grows its tomatoes in California and its potatoes in Idaho. In fact, Anderson said … Read More

The CPI report will likely bolster the administration’s claims that grim forecasts for the economy have been overblown. Most polls have Trump’s approval rating underwater as voters sour on his economic policies. The report will also amplify Trump’s calls for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. Powell and other Fed policymakers have … Read More

Prices climbed at an unexpectedly slow pace last month, offering a boost to President Donald Trump, whose aggressive trade policies have sparked fears of a resurgence in inflation. The Labor Department on Tuesday reported that prices rose at an annual rate of 2.3 percent, the smallest increase since early 2021. While price growth in so-called … Read More

U.S. levies on Chinese goods will drop from at least 145% to a base levy of 30% for an initial period of 90 days, while Chinese levies are set to fall from at least 125% to 10% on U.S. goods. Vice Premier He described the atmosphere of the meeting as “candid, in-depth, and constructive” after … Read More

Customs duties totaled $16.3 billion for the month, some 86% above the $8.75 billion collected during March and more than double the $7.1 billion a year ago, the Treasury Department reported Monday. That brought the year-to-date total for the duties up to $63.3 billion and more than 18% ahead of the same period in 2024. … Read More

Among the main drivers of Beijing’s climb-down were internal signals that Chinese companies were struggling to avoid bankruptcies and to replace the U.S. market, three people familiar with the Chinese government’s thinking said. Some areas feeling immediate impact were furniture and toy makers, as well as textiles, said one of the officials. U.S. diplomats in … Read More