Xi, Trump Should Reverse Positions China’s position is that if a bilateral trade agreement is reached with the U.S., both sides must remove the punitive tariffs that each imposed on the other over the past year. Conversely, President Trump insists that the 25 percent duties he placed on some Chinese goods will not be removed. Based on the data, both parties should flip their positions. The tariff war has harmed the U.S. more than China. The data shows that U.S. exports to that country have fallen 38 percent over the past year, while Chinese exports to the U.S. have dropped just 14 percent. Given that alone, the two presidents would appear better off by reversing their stances.
Deference to Israel The OECD this week issued a repo...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...