China has said it is "not afraid" of a trade war with the United States, after it threatened to introduce a 25-percent levy on American pork imports. Such a move will likely put further pressure on the US' domestic pork industry, which is already facing weaker demand from China, the world's top buyer of the meat. Rapid expansion of large-scale pig farms in China has been boosting domestic supply and lowering production costs. As a result, China's pork prices are currently hovering around €1.28 ($1.58) per kilogram. Read more: Did Donald Trump really just launch a trade war with China? WH Group, the world's largest producer of pork after the takeover of Smithfields Foods by China's Shuanhui international in 2013, was among the worst performers on Hong Kong's Hang Seng index, falling up to 10 percent following the news of the intended tariffs. "Even without the tariffs, with such low prices, we will use more domestic pork for our Chinese business," said Luis Chein, a company … [Read more...] about China targets US pork as trade war fears escalate
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G20 finance leaders agree trade tensions have ‘intensified’
Finance leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) ended a two-day meeting in the western Japanese city of Fukuoka on Sunday. International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said trade tension was the "major" headwind facing the global economy, telling Japan's Nikkei daily it was a "significant risk on the horizon." Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso, hosting the talks, told reporters the world economy should "firm" in the second half of the year but "downside risks still remain." Aso went on say "market confidence could be eroded" if China and the US did not resolve their ongoing trade war. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Agence France-Presse there was a "real risk" that "this global economic slowdown could turn into a global economic crisis due to trade tensions." "A worsening of the international climate and a real trade war would lead to an even more marked slowdown in global growth, with a direct impact on our jobs, companies, factories and sectors," he … [Read more...] about G20 finance leaders agree trade tensions have ‘intensified’
US-China trade spat: China’s Asian neighbors see record investments
Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, attracted record foreign direct investments last year as the ongoing trade friction between the United States and China prompted manufacturers to shift their production to countries not subject to US tariffs. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the region rose 3% in 2018 to a record level of $149 billion (€132 billion), UNCTAD'S World Investment Report 2019 showed. The US and China have been engaged in a bitter trade spat for about a year with both sides imposing punitive tariffs on each other's goods. The Trump administration has already imposed a 25% levy on $250 billion worth of imports from China and has threatened to slap the same tariff on the remaining Chinese imports worth $325 billion. In retaliation, Beijing has imposed levies on $110 billion worth of US goods. "The escalation in US-China trade tensions triggered a significant increase in investments in South and Southeast Asia," James Zhan, … [Read more...] about US-China trade spat: China’s Asian neighbors see record investments
Next stop in Trump’s trade crusade: Japan
China, the European Union, Canada and Mexico — US President Donald Trump is waging his trade war on many fronts, with the likelihood of Japan becoming the next battleground rising, according to US business daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). In a column written by WSJ Assistant Editor James Freeman on Thursday, the author said that Trump saw a "problem" with Japan's $68.8 billion (€59.1 billion) trade surplus in 2017, which is not expected to come down significantly this year. Freeman wrote he had a conversation with the president in which Trump had thanked him for his positive comments on the US economy, and was generally praising America's "good relations" with the Asian country. "Of course that will end as soon as I tell them how much they have to pay," Freeman then cited Trump as saying. Upon the news, the Japanese currency immediately firmed in late New York trading on speculation that Trump may soon target the world's third-largest economy in its drive to lower the … [Read more...] about Next stop in Trump’s trade crusade: Japan
‘You’re not a celebrity!’ Married at First Sight has-beens Telv Williams and Nasser Sultan trade insults on Instagram as their fame dwindles
Former Married at First Sight stars Telv Williams and Nasser Sultan are no strangers to petty feuds. And on Monday, the pair butted heads after Telv shared an pair of innocent selfies to Instagram. The father-of-two shared an 'Instagram vs reality' post, which showed two near-identical photos of him dining at Winter Malvern. 'You're not a celebrity!' Married at First Sight's Telv Williams and Nasser Sultan (pictured) traded pretty insults on Instagram on Monday One photo showed him smiling and posing for the camera, while a second less flattering photo showed him looking sleep-deprived. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Not again! Married at First Sight suffers ANOTHER editing... 'He was all over me like a rash!' Married at First Sight's... Share this article Share Nasser rudely commented: 'You're not funny', which prompted Telv to respond with: 'Your [sic] not a celebrity.' Nasser followed up with: 'I think you need to think about that hard.' … [Read more...] about ‘You’re not a celebrity!’ Married at First Sight has-beens Telv Williams and Nasser Sultan trade insults on Instagram as their fame dwindles