China's factory activity contracted for the seventh consecutive month in October, the government said Friday, as a newly announced truce in the trade war between the US and China offers some hope for a stronger recovery in exports. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index slipped to 49 in October from 49.8 in September, worse than forecast, the China's National Bureau of Statistics reported, based on a survey of factory managers. Measured on a scale between 0 and 100, a PMI reading below 50 indicates contraction. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said the US will cut its fentanyl-related tariffs on China from 20 per cent to 10 per cent after his meeting in South Korea with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, bringing down US tariffs on Chinese goods from 57 per cent to 47 per cent. China has been diversifying exports from the US, with shipments to regions including Southeast Asia and Africa growing. Exports to the US, however, have dropped by double-digits for six straight
China's promise to delay its newest restrictions on the export of the rare earths that are crucial to many high-tech products for one year as part of a trade agreement President Donald Trump secured creates an opportunity for the US and its allies to bolster their own production and processing capabilities. But it will be hard to undercut China's stranglehold on the market. The restrictions China imposed on rare earths this year have been a key issue in the trade talks between Beijing and Washington. Trump responded angrily to China's latest rules with a threat to impose an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, but he has since dropped that demand as part of this agreement. This week's deal will delay the regulations that would have required foreign companies to get special approval to export items that contain even small traces of rare earths elements sourced from China even if those products were made elsewhere by foreign companies, but it doesn't eliminate restrictions ..
US is expected to take Trump's threat of 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods off the table while China is expected to delay export controls on critical minerals, and revive soyabean purchase
The shipments are booked for loading and possible delivery later this year, according to people familiar with the matter. They asked not to be named as they are not authorized to speak to media
Beijing has long supported strategic enterprises, either directly or through indirect means like inexpensive loans or a helping hand with permits, a far cry from West's economically driven approach
According to the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, the incidents took place on Sunday during separate routine operations over the disputed waters
China's ambition to challenge Boeing and Airbus with its own homegrown passenger jet is running into turbulence, with deliveries of finished aircraft likely to fall far short of its target announced for this year. The C919 jet -- a single-aisle passenger plane aiming to rival Boeing's 737 and Airbus' A320 is made by state-owned aircraft manufacturer COMAC. Beijing is showcasing it as evidence of China's technological advancement and progress in self-reliance, though it uses many Western sourced components. Trade friction with Washington threatens to prevent COMAC from securing core parts for the programme that has been supported by huge Chinese government subsidies. COMAC faces significant risk from the volatile policy environment, with its supply chains vulnerable to export restrictions and tit-for-tat measures between the US and China, said Max J. Zenglein, Asia-Pacific senior economist at The Conference Board think tank. The C919 has 48 major suppliers from the US -- including
Xi and Trump are expected to sign off on the terms this week in South Korea when they sit down in person for the first time since the US president returned to power
"I think we have a very successful framework for the leaders to discuss on Thursday," Bessent told reporters
Malaysia is in discussion for a potential critical minerals deal with the US, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Zafrul Aziz said on Saturday
A successful Trump-Xi meeting, as predicted by US president, will inject calm into markets and likely revive appetite for risk assets from Asian shares to regional currencies tied to China's economy
U.S. officials are launching an investigation into whether China lived up to its commitments under a 2020 trade pact that President Donald Trump described at the time as an incredible breakthrough.' The announcement Friday by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer came the same day Trump was scheduled to head to Asia, where he said he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in an effort to ease trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies. Beijing has announced that Xi will travel to South Korea to attend a regional economic meeting and for a state visit, but it has yet to confirm that he will meet with Trump while both are in South Korea. The possible leaders summit is highly watched as trade tensions have risen again, with both countries imposing more trade restrictions on the other and Trump threatening a new 100% tariff on China. Beijing has demanded that the U.S. not threaten new restrictions while seeking talks with China, and it's not immediately clear how Greer'
The majors have begun to assess the curbs, as well as similar moves by the EU, according to people with knowledge of the situation, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive issues
As the US government shutdown blots out most economic data, the spotlight is on Friday's consumer price figures for signals about next week's policy meeting at the Federal Reserve
Trump has also floated an elusive agreement on nuclear weapons and expressed a desire to convince Xi to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine
Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Busan, South Korea
A broad rally sent all three major US stock indexes to a sharply higher close overnight with chip stocks hitting a record high
Trump warned of potential steep tariffs on Chinese goods if a trade deal isn't reached after his meeting with Xi Jinping later this month. However, he expressed his optimism for a 'fair' agreement
Greer's warning comes amid ongoing US-China maritime disputes, with China controlling over half the world's shipbuilding and seeking greater influence in the South China Sea
China's unprecedented move on rare earths sparked a global pushback over the past week, as officials from Europe and Japan voiced concerns over supply chain stability