What Happened With Trade?

Every summary we've sent on Trade since January 1, 2025, newest first, each linked to its source. Each brief goes up here 14 days after our readers get it by text the morning it happens. Get today's brief here.

The Latest on Trade

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Full Brief
  1. 4

    Economic Analysis Bureau: US economy grows 2.2% annualized in Q2 (vs 2.5% in Q1) driven by +3.8% rise in consumer spending, +9% business investment & +5% exports

Every Summary on Trade

October 20261 Summary

  1. Thursday, October 1, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US economy grows 2.2% annualized in Q2 (vs 2.5% in Q1) driven by +3.8% rise in consumer spending, +9% business investment & +5% exports

September 20262 Summaries

  1. Wednesday, September 9, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      UK bans imports from "illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories" & expands sanctions on settlers, firms supporting expansion, citing support for 2-state solution & saying occupation is "unlawful"

  2. Friday, September 4, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      US trade deficit rises to $88.6B in Jul (+24% vs $71B in Jun, highest since Mar 2025); Exports fall -2.1% while imports rise +2.8%, led by computers & semiconductors

August 20265 Summaries

  1. Friday, August 28, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Vietnam surpasses Taiwan ($107B), Mexico ($103B) & China ($74B) as largest source of US goods trade deficit with $114B surplus in 1st half of 2026; US imports from Vietnam hit $123B (+40% year-over-year)

  2. Thursday, August 27, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US economy grows 1.5% in Q2 (vs 2.1% in Q1) driven by consumer spending (+3.4%), exports (+4.5%) & investment (+3%) partly offset by -0.8% decrease in government spending

  3. Monday, August 24, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US imposes 50% tariffs on ~$20B of Canadian imports including wine, paper goods & hockey equipment after trade talks fail to reach agreement; Tariffs cover ~5% of Canada's annual exports to US

  4. Thursday, August 20, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      US delays planned 50% tariffs (set to take effect Aug 19) on certain Canadian goods including wine, paper goods & hockey equipment (worth ~$20B) for 3 days as US & Canada work to finalize trade deal

  5. Friday, August 7, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US trade deficit falls to $73.3B in Jun (vs $77.6B in May) as imports fall to $388B (-1.8%) driven by lower computer & pharmaceutical imports; Imports from Mexico ($48B), S Korea ($12B) & Vietnam ($15B) reach record highs

July 20267 Summaries

  1. Friday, July 31, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US economy grows 1.5% in Q2 (vs 2.1% in Q1) as consumer spending rises +3.2%, investment +3% & exports +4.5%; Government spending declines -0.8% & imports rise +11.5%, offsetting growth

  2. Friday, July 24, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump imposes 10%-12.5% tariffs on imports from 60 trade partners covering 99% of US trade over alleged "forced-labor" violations; Replaces temporary 10% global tariffs imposed after Supreme Court struck down "Liberation Day" tariffs in Feb

  3. Thursday, July 23, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      US & Saudi Arabia sign civilian nuclear cooperation agreement establishing framework for US nuclear exports & investment in country's nuclear energy program

  4. Tuesday, July 21, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump imposes additional 50% tariffs on certain Canadian goods including wine, paper goods & hockey equipment (effective in 30 days) citing Canada's "discriminatory treatment of US autos, alcohol & dairy exports"

  5. Friday, July 17, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US imposes 25% tariff on Brazilian imports, citing "unreasonable trade practices including digital trade, ethanol market access, intellectual property & illegal deforestation"

  6. Tuesday, July 14, 2026Full Brief
    1. 6

      EU expands Sudan sanctions by banning Sudanese gold imports & exports of gold-mining chemicals, targeting financing for Sudan's "war economy"; Civil war has displaced 11M+ people since Apr 2023

  7. Wednesday, July 8, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Bureau of Economic Analysis: US trade deficit rises to $78B in May (+42% vs $55B in Apr, highest in 14mo); Imports rise to $395B (+3.3%) as capital goods imports hit record $128B, while exports fall to $318B (-3.2%)

June 20264 Summaries

  1. Friday, June 12, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      US becomes world's largest oil exporter as exports reach 10.5M barrels/day, surpassing Russia (7M) & Saudi Arabia (5.9M); Shift driven by surging US oil production, disruptions from Iran war & Russia sanctions

  2. Thursday, June 4, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Trump signs order tightening customs rules on importers bringing goods into US, requiring stronger asset, bond & ownership disclosures to target "undervalued imports, illegal transshipment & tariff avoidance"

  3. Wednesday, June 3, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Israel defense exports break record for 5th consecutive year, reaching $19.2B in 2025 (+30% vs $14.8B in 2024); Government-to-government deals hit record ~$10B with Europe leading export share (36%)

  4. Monday, June 1, 2026Full Brief
    1. 6

      Russia signs ~$16.5B deal to build Kazakhstan's 1st nuclear power plant; Central Asia's largest country & world's largest uranium producer imports electricity as aging coal-fired power plants struggle to meet demand

May 20265 Summaries

  1. Thursday, May 21, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      EU approves implementation of Jul 2025 trade pact with US, eliminating tariffs on US industrial goods while capping most US tariffs on European exports at 15% amid push for "stable & fair" transatlantic trade

    2. 6

      UK issues indefinite sanctions waiver allowing imports of jet fuel & diesel refined from Russian oil to "protect British consumers" amid Iran war-driven energy price surge

  2. Tuesday, May 19, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      US & China establish new trade & investment boards during Trump's China visit as Beijing commits to buying 200 Boeing aircraft & $17B annually in US farm exports; Trump & President Xi agree Iran "cannot have nuclear weapon" & reaffirm N Korea denuclearization

  3. Monday, May 4, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US crude oil exports hit record 5.2M barrels/day in Apr (+30% vs 3.9M in Feb pre-war) as Iran conflict disrupts Middle East supply

  4. Friday, May 1, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US economy grows +2% in Q1 2026 (vs +0.5% in Q4) driven by AI-linked investment, exports (+12.9%), consumer & government spending; Imports surge +21.4% partially offsetting growth

April 20267 Summaries

  1. Wednesday, April 22, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      Japan ends ban on lethal weapons exports, marking major shift in post-WWII pacifist policy; New guidelines permit sales of missiles, jets & warships to approved partners

  2. Wednesday, April 15, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      International Energy Agency report: Global oil markets face "largest supply shock in history" with exports down >13M barrels/day & inventories falling -85M barrels in Mar

    2. 4

      OPEC report: Total OPEC oil production falls to 20.8M barrels/day (-27% vs 28.7M in Feb) as Iran war disrupts Gulf exports; Iraq leads decline at -61%, Kuwait (-53%), UAE (-44%) & Saudi Arabia (-23%)

  3. Monday, April 13, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      Iraq parliament elects (227-15) 58yo Kurdish politician Nizar Amidi as president amid Iran war fallout disrupting oil exports & escalating militia attacks

  4. Wednesday, April 8, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      Kpler report: Iran-US conflict disrupts ~11M barrels/day (bpd) of crude supply & cuts Gulf states' exports to ~7M bpd (-53% vs 15M bpd pre-conflict); Global oil market now in ~6M bpd deficit

  5. Monday, April 6, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Trump signs order raising metal tariffs to 50% (vs previous 25%); Applies duties to "full value of steel, aluminum, copper imports" with "reduced rates" for UK & existing arrangements with EU, Japan, S Korea

  6. Friday, April 3, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Bureau of Economic Analysis: US trade deficit rises to $57.3B in Feb (+4.9% vs $54.7B in Jan); Imports climb to $372B (+4.3%) & exports reach record $315B (+4.2%)

March 20266 Summaries

  1. Friday, March 27, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      European Parliament approves EU-US trade deal (417-154, 71 abstentions) 1st agreed Jul 2025 with "safeguards" to suspend pact if "US imposes tariffs >15%"

  2. Wednesday, March 25, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      EU & Australia sign Security & Defense Partnership & finalize free trade agreement removing 99% of tariffs on EU goods exports to Australia after 8yrs of negotiations

    2. 3

      Philippines declares 1yr national energy emergency (1st country to declare national energy emergency over Middle East conflict) citing "imminent danger to supply"; Country imports 98% of its oil from Gulf

  3. Monday, March 16, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US conducts "large-scale precision strike" on Iran's Kharg Island, hitting 90+ Iranian military targets while "preserving oil infrastructure"; Kharg Island hosts oil terminal handling ~90% of Iran's oil exports

  4. Tuesday, March 10, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      SIPRI: Global arms transfers in 2021-25 rise +9.2% (vs 2016-20); Europe's weapons imports surge +210%, becoming world's largest arms-importing region; US (largest arms supplier) exports rise +27%, Russia exports fall -64%

  5. Thursday, March 5, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      US International Trade Court orders CBP to process imports without tariffs imposed under Trump's emergency powers after Supreme Court ruled duties unlawful in Feb; US collected ~$264B in customs duties in 2025

February 20269 Summaries

  1. Monday, February 23, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump imposes 15% global tariffs on imports under emergency powers (Section 122 of Trade Act of 1974) for up to 150 days after Supreme Court rules (6-3) International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) doesn't authorize imposition of his earlier country-specific tariffs

    2. 3

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US economy grows 1.4% in Q4 (vs 4.4% in Q3) driven by consumer spending (+2.4%) & investment (+2.6%) rise; Government spending (-4.7%) & exports (-2.1%) decline

  2. Friday, February 20, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      Bureau of Economic Analysis: US trade deficit rises to $70B in Dec (+33% vs $53B in Nov), pushing annual gap to $902B (among largest since 1960); Exports fall to $287.3B (-1.7% vs $293B) while imports surge to $358B (+3.6% vs $345B)

  3. Friday, February 13, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      US-North Macedonia reach trade deal framework; N Macedonia will pay 15% tariff & purchase US gas, US pays 0%; US trade with N Macedonia reached $433M in 2024

  4. Wednesday, February 11, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      Taiwan's exports surge to record $65.8B (+70% year-over-year vs $38.7B in 2025), fastest monthly pace in 16yrs, driven by AI chip demands; Shipments to US jump +152%, China +50%

    2. 5

      US & Armenia sign civil nuclear cooperation agreement allowing up to $5B US exports & $4B fuel & maintenance contracts

  5. Tuesday, February 10, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US & Bangladesh reach reciprocal trade agreement; US cuts tariff on Bangladeshi goods to 19% (vs previous 20%), Dhaka pledges ~$18.5B in US aircraft, agriculture & energy purchases

  6. Monday, February 9, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US-India reach trade agreement framework lowering tariffs, expanding market access & strengthening supply chains; US will apply 18% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods, India pledges ~$500B in US purchases >5yrs

    2. 4

      Trump eliminates 25% additional tariff on Indian imports (imposed Aug 2025), citing India's "commitment to stop Russian oil imports, purchase US energy products & expand defense cooperation up to 10yrs"

January 20268 Summaries

  1. Friday, January 30, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US declares national emergency over Cuba, authorizing "potential tariffs on imports from countries supplying oil to island" & citing "ties to hostile states, intelligence activity & regional destabilization" as national security threats

  2. Wednesday, January 28, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      EU & India sign landmark trade zone agreement covering ~2B people; Deal cuts tariffs on 96.6% of EU exports & opens Indian goods/services access, deepening ties between major global economies

  3. Monday, January 19, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      EU & Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay & Uruguay) sign historic trade deal after 25yrs, creating 1 of world's biggest free-trade zones; Mercosur will phase out tariffs on 91% of EU exports >15yrs, EU will phase out tariffs on 92% of Mercosur exports >10yrs

  4. Friday, January 16, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US & Taiwan sign trade deal; Taiwan commits $250B in direct investments & $250B in credit guarantees for US semiconductor, energy & AI production; Reciprocal tariffs capped at 15% (0% for generic drugs, aircraft parts & certain raw materials)

  5. Thursday, January 15, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      China's trade surplus (when country exports more goods than imports) surges to record $1.2T in 2025 (+20% vs $992B in 2024) as exports rise +5.5%, offsetting -20% fall in US exports by increasing sales to Africa, SE Asia, EU & Latin America

    2. 5

      US approves Nvidia H200 chip exports to China, requiring shipments not exceed 50% of domestic US sales; Trump admin reverses initial restriction shifting from "presumption of denial to case-by-case review"

  6. Friday, January 9, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US trade deficit narrows to $29.4B in Oct (-39% vs $48B in Sep, lowest since 2009); Imports fall to $331B (-3.2% vs $342B in Sep) & exports rise to $302B (+2.6% vs $294B)

  7. Thursday, January 8, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      China launches antidumping probe into Japanese semiconductor chemical imports day after banning "dual-use" exports (products or materials serving both civilian & military use), escalating trade tensions over Japanese PM Takaichi's Taiwan remarks

December 20255 Summaries

  1. Friday, December 12, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US trade deficit drops to $53B in Sep (-11% vs $59B in Aug), lowest since Jun 2020; Exports jump to $289B (+3% vs $281B), while imports rise to $342B (+0.6% vs $340B)

  2. Thursday, December 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      Amazon announces $35B India investment through 2030 for AI-driven digitization, export growth & jobs, reinforcing company's role as India's largest foreign investor with 12M small businesses on Amazon's digital ecosystem, $20B cumulative exports & 2.8M jobs supported

  3. Tuesday, December 9, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump unveils $12B farm aid package, including $11B in payments to row-crop farmers & $1B for specialty crops to "help offset low prices, inflation & reduced exports to China"

    2. 2

      China's trade surplus (when country exports more goods than imports) hits $1T for 1st time as overall exports rise +5.9% in Nov, offsetting -29% drop in US exports by increasing sales to Europe, Africa, Latin America & Asia

  4. Thursday, December 4, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      EU agrees to permanently phase out Russian natural gas imports by late 2027 ending dependency on Russian energy; Russia currently accounts for 12% of EU gas imports (vs 45% before 2022 Ukraine invasion)

November 20256 Summaries

  1. Monday, November 24, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Trump signs order scaling back Brazil tariffs by removing 40% additional duties imposed Jul 30 on agricultural imports including coffee, beef & fruit, citing initial progress in talks with Brazil

  2. Thursday, November 20, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US trade deficit drops to $60B in Aug (-24% vs $78B in Jul) as Trump's global tariffs reduce imports by -5% to $340B; Year-to-date deficit rises to $714B (+25% vs $571B in Jan-Aug 2024)

  3. Tuesday, November 18, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      India signs 1st major liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) import deal with US for 2.2M tonnes annually (10% of India's annual LPG imports) starting 2026

  4. Monday, November 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      US, Switzerland & Liechtenstein reach trade deal framework: Switzerland, Liechtenstein pay 15% tariffs (vs initial 39%) while US pays 0% tariffs on industrial, seafood & select agricultural goods

    2. 3

      Trump administration reaches trade deal frameworks with 4 Latin American countries; US pays 0% tariffs while 70% of Guatemala exports face 0% tariff (on goods US doesn't produce), others 10%; Argentina, El Salvador (10%) & Ecuador (15%) receive selective tariff relief on coffee, cocoa & bananas

  5. Thursday, November 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      China will lift retaliatory tariffs on US imports starting Nov 10 after Trump-Xi meeting, but keeps 13% duty on soybeans, leaving US exports more costly vs cheaper Brazilian suppliers

October 20254 Summaries

  1. Tuesday, October 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US signs trade & critical minerals deals with Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia & Vietnam at ASEAN summit; Countries pay 19-20% tariffs on most exports to US while eliminating tariffs on US goods (Thailand removes 99%); All 4 pledge greater market access amid China's rare earth export curbs

  2. Thursday, October 23, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      China overtakes US as Germany's top trading partner as Trump tariffs cut German exports by -7% in 1st 8mo of 2025 (-24% year-over-year); US ended China's 8yr streak in 2024 but Trump tariffs reversed shift

  3. Tuesday, October 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Bolivia elects centrist senator Rodrigo Paz as president, ending nearly 20yrs of leftist rule; New president faces 40yr high inflation, fuel shortages & plummeting gas exports

  4. Monday, October 13, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      China imposes retaliatory port fees of $56/ton per voyage on American-owned ships docking in country, mirroring US's port fees on Chinese vessels ahead of Trump-Xi trade talks

September 20254 Summaries

  1. Monday, September 29, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      US goods trade deficit narrows -17% to $86B in Aug (vs $103B in Jul) as imports drop to $262B (vs $281B) & exports ease to $176B (vs $178B) amid tariff-driven swings in trade

  2. Friday, September 26, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Economic Analysis Bureau revision report: US economy grows 3.8% in Q2 (vs 3.3% estimate) with growth lifted by stronger consumer spending (+2.5%) & -29.3% drop in imports

  3. Tuesday, September 9, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      China's exports to US plunge 33% in Aug as overall shipments grow 4.4% (lowest growth since Feb); Imports rise 1.3% (vs 3% forecast) with US still top single-country market despite tariff pressure

  4. Wednesday, September 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Syria exports 1st crude oil shipment in 14yrs (600K barrels) 9mo after Assad regime fall in Dec; Country exported 380K barrels daily in 2010 before 14yr civil war devastated oil infrastructure

August 202510 Summaries

  1. Friday, August 29, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Economic Analysis Bureau: US economy grows 3.3% in Q2 (vs 3% estimates) after -0.5% Q1 contraction from import surge ahead of Trump's tariffs; Imports fall 29.8%, boosting GDP as businesses reverse stockpiling; Private investment drops 13.8% (biggest decline since 2020)

  2. Thursday, August 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump's 50% tariffs take effect today for India (vs previous 25%) for buying Russian oil; India says $48B in exports at risk

  3. Tuesday, August 12, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump extends China tariff truce 90 days to Nov 10 (2nd delay) to continue negotiations, preventing tariffs from rising to 145% on Chinese imports to US (vs 30% current) & 125% on US exports to China (vs 10%)

  4. Friday, August 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      China's global trade surplus hits $684B year-to-date in Jul (+33% vs 2024) as exports to Southeast Asia surge (+17%) due to front-loading for transshipment (shipping to US via other countries with lower tariffs) ahead of Aug 12 US trade deal deadline, making up for declining exports to US (-22%)

  5. Wednesday, August 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US trade deficit narrows to $60B in Jun (lowest since Sep 2023) driven by tariff-induced import drop

  6. Monday, August 4, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump signs order modifying tariff rates for EU & 68 nations with rates ranging from 10% baseline to 41% for select countries including Syria, Myanmar & Laos; Order codifies trade deals with Japan, S Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam & Philippines; Twice-delayed "Liberation Day" tariffs now effective Aug 7

    2. 3

      Trump imposes 50% universal tariff on copper imports; Copper is 3rd most-used metal in US after steel & aluminum (which face Trump's 50% tariffs since Jun)

    3. 5

      Trump signs order raising tariffs on many Canadian imports to 35% (from 25%) alleging non-cooperation on fentanyl trafficking & 40% on goods transshipped through Canada

  7. Friday, August 1, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump suspends $800 de minimis exemption for global commercial imports (effective Aug 29) citing security risks from tariff evasion & illicit drugs; 4M+ daily small parcels now subject to tariffs; $100 gift & $200 travel exemptions remain

    2. 3

      US & South Korea sign trade deal: Korea pays 15% tariff (vs Trump's threatened 25%), US pays 0%; Korea will invest $350B in US-controlled fund & purchase $100B in US energy; US-Korea trade totaled $197B in 2024 with $66B US deficit; Korea is US's 6th largest trading partner in 2024

July 202513 Summaries

  1. Monday, July 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US & EU sign trade deal ahead of Trump's Aug 1 deadline, setting mutual 15% tariff (vs Trump's threatened 30%) on most goods & 0% on some sectors including aircraft, certain chemicals, generic drugs & raw materials; EU will invest $600B & buy $750B in energy from US; 2024 US-EU trade totaled $976B with US in $236B deficit

    2. 5

      Thailand & Cambodia agree to ceasefire talks on Mon (mediated by US, China, ASEAN) after Trump threatens to halt trade deals over their 4-day border conflict (35+ dead, 218K+ evacuated)

  2. Friday, July 25, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      India (world's 5th largest economy) & UK (6th largest) sign bilateral free trade deal (UK's biggest post-Brexit) after 3.5yrs of negotiation; India's tariff on UK down to 3% from 15% (whisky down to 70% from 150%), UK's tariffs on 99% of India's goods at 0%

  3. Wednesday, July 23, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US & Japan sign trade deal, lowering US tariffs on Japan to 15% (vs threatened 25%); Per deal, Japan will invest $550B in US economy; 2024 US-Japan trade totaled $230B with US in $70B deficit; Japan is 5th-largest US trading partner in goods

    2. 3

      Trump announces US-Philippines trade deal: Philippines pays 19% tariff (vs threatened 20%) while US pays 0% tariff; 2024 US-Philippines trade totaled $24B with US in $5B deficit

  4. Thursday, July 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      US-Indonesia reach trade deal with US facing 0% tariff & Indonesia 19% (vs Trump's threatened 32%); Indonesia buys $15B in US energy, $4.5B in agricultural products & 50 Boeing jets; Indonesia-US trade totaled $40B in 2024 with US in $18B deficit

  5. Wednesday, July 16, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump admin imposes 17% tariff on Mexican tomatoes, ending 2019 trade agreement; Per Florida Tomato Exchange, US imports 70% of its tomatoes from Mexico ($3B annually)

  6. Tuesday, July 15, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump threatens 100% tariffs & secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian exports if Russia refuses peace deal with Ukraine within 50 days; Claims 17 Patriot batteries available to Ukraine "very soon"

  7. Monday, July 14, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump orders 30% tariff on all imports from EU & Mexico (which make up 30%+ of US imports) by Aug 1; EU is US's biggest trading partner ($1T in 2024); Mexico ($840B)

    2. 2

      Trump imposes 35% tariff on all Canadian imports by Aug 1 (up from 25% Feb threat), citing Canada's retaliatory tariffs & fentanyl smuggling (despite data indicating no meaningful smuggling at northern border)

  8. Wednesday, July 9, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Trump threatens 50% tariff on copper soon & 200% on pharmaceuticals within 1yr in effort to shift production to US; US currently imports 50% of copper it uses (primarily from Chile & Australia)

  9. Thursday, July 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Trump announces US-Vietnam trade deal: Vietnam pays 20% tariff on most goods & 40% on those passing through Vietnam to US while US pays no tariff; US threatened Vietnam with 46% tariff in Apr

  10. Tuesday, July 1, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Canada imposes 3% digital services tax affecting US tech giants but withdraws it after Trump threatens halting trade talks

June 20253 Summaries

  1. Friday, June 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      European Central Bank cuts interest rates from 2.25% to 2% in 8th 0.25 percentage point cut this year to reduce borrowing cost for the 20-member currency bloc targeted by Trump's trade war; Eurozone inflation fell to 1.9% in May for 1st time since Sep 2024

  2. Wednesday, June 4, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      Trump signs order doubling steel & aluminum import tariffs from 25% to 50% per his last week's announcement; UK kept at 25% per ongoing trade deal talks

  3. Monday, June 2, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Trump doubles steel & aluminum tariffs from 25% to 50% effective Jun 4; Industry-specific tariffs unaffected by recent trade court ruling blocking reciprocal tariffs; US imports dropped 20% in Apr

May 202511 Summaries

  1. Friday, May 30, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Trump publicly accuses China of violating preliminary May 12 trade deal that temporarily lowered tariffs for 90 days

  2. Wednesday, May 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US consumer confidence rebounds in May in response to easing trade war after 5mo of declines

  3. Tuesday, May 27, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump threatened 50% tariff on EU on Fri, citing stalled trade talks; Postponed them from Jun to Jul after call with EU head Ursula von der Leyen

  4. Monday, May 12, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      China & US agree to each cut tariffs by 115%, pause for 90 days & continue trade war de-escalation talks; US' tariffs on China now 30% & China's tariffs on US 10%; Both markets & currencies surge

  5. Friday, May 9, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      US & China start 1st talks in trade war in Switzerland this weekend; Trump proposes de-escalating China's tariff from 145% to 80% (vs China's 125% retaliatory tariff); China is world's largest exporter & 2nd largest economy

    2. 4

      US-UK "landmark" trade deal lowers UK's average tariffs on US from 5% to 2%; US cuts auto tariff on UK from 28% to 10% (for up to 100K cars) & keeps 10% tariff on most goods, exempting steel & aluminum

  6. Thursday, May 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      US & UK unveil "comprehensive" bilateral trade agreement, 1st in Trump's trade renegotiation campaign; 70+ similar deals reportedly underway before 90-day tariff reprieve expires

    2. 4

      Bank of England cuts interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25% to bring businesses & consumers relief amidst economic growth concerns over trade war

    3. 5

      Fed Reserve holds interest rates steady (4.25-4.5% target range) in dual concern of inflation & slowing economic growth arising from trade war; Despite Fed independence, Trump repeatedly called for lower interest rates

  7. Monday, May 5, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      S&P 500 index is in longest winning streak since 2004, rising for 9 consecutive days & gaining +10%, fully recovering losses since Apr 2 initiation of Trump's global trade war & surpassing prior levels; Indicators of fast economic growth & robust consumer spend upheld investor optimism

    2. 6

      Trump ends "de minimis" duty exemption for imports <$800 (4M daily shipments) on Fri, disrupting Chinese ecommerce giants Temu & Shein that rely on it

April 202510 Summaries

  1. Wednesday, April 30, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      US trade deficit hits record high since early 1990s in Mar ($162B gap vs $93B in 2024) driven by import surge ahead of tariffs

  2. Friday, April 25, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      China exempts some US imports from its 125% tariff & asks its domestic industries to identify which goods they need levy-free in trade war de-escalation; US & China have not begun talks

  3. Wednesday, April 23, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      US stocks close higher on Tue (S&P +2.5%, Nasdaq +2.7%, Dow +2.7%) after Treasury Sec Bessent signaled trade talks with China will lead to deescalation; Talks have not yet started

  4. Thursday, April 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      European Central Bank cuts interest rates from 2.5% to 2.25% for 7th time, stimulating growth amid transatlantic trade war and ongoing geopolitical strife

  5. Wednesday, April 16, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      US claims China faces up to 245% in tariffs due to its retaliations; China signals it won't "pay attention" to further tariff changes since US exports have already been priced out of Chinese markets per final 125% tariff

    2. 3

      China halts orders from US-based plane manufacturer Boeing in escalating trade war

  6. Tuesday, April 15, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      China halts rare earths & magnets exports critical to auto, defense, aerospace & semiconductor industries worldwide; China produces 90%+ of world's rare earths

  7. Friday, April 4, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      China matches Trump's 34% tariff on imports from US

  8. Thursday, April 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump declares baseline 10% tariff on all imports into US by Apr 5 & higher additional tariff on 60 "worst trade offenders" by Apr 9: EU (20%), India (26%), China (65%, multiple combined tariffs since Trump's 1st term)

    2. 2

      Earlier announced 25% tariffs on all car & parts imports into US take effect today without exceptions

March 20255 Summaries

  1. Wednesday, March 26, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      Trump bars exports to 80 foreign firms (50 are Chinese), citing risk of their military use of US technology

  2. Friday, March 14, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump threatens 200% tariff on alcohol imports from EU if it refuses to lift its 50% tariff on US whiskey; EU plans further countermeasures in response to Trump escalating transatlantic trade war

  3. Tuesday, March 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      US stock markets fell sharply on Mon amid ongoing trade war uncertainty & Trump not ruling out recession; S&P 500 -2.7%, Dow -2.1%, Nasdaq Comp -4%

  4. Friday, March 7, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump pauses 25% tariffs on Mexico & Canada for 1mo for goods under 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which covers 50% of Mexico & 36% of Canada imports

    2. 5

      US trade deficit hit record high in Jan with 10% import increase vs 1.2% export increase, widening trade gap by 34%, as businesses scrambled for overseas supplies ahead of tariffs

February 20254 Summaries

  1. Friday, February 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump resumes 25% tariffs on Canada & Mexico on Mar 4, following month pause; Threatens to double 10% tariff recently levied on Chinese imports; Vows forthcoming 25% tariff on EU

  2. Friday, February 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      Trump plans new 25% tariffs on auto, semiconductors, pharmaceutical imports by April

  3. Tuesday, February 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Trump signs promised 25% blanket tariff on steel & aluminum imports without exemptions starting Mar 12

  4. Monday, February 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump signs 25% tariffs on Mexico & Canada (10% on Canada's oil) & 10% on China imports into effect tonight; These 3 are US's largest trading partners, accounting for 40%+ of imports last year

January 20251 Summary

  1. Tuesday, January 14, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      US weighs new restrictions on AI chip exports except to 18 allies to ensure that "the world's AI runs on American rails," met with criticism from tech companies

More Topics

See what changed the world by topic

Trump648AI278Big Tech229Military198Tariffs189China186Immigration179Iran171Health156Russia153Europe153Energy147Israel128Ukraine125Oil113Africa91Economy88United Kingdom88Jobs85Congress84Elections78Gaza76Inflation72Climate68Canada68Education68Supreme Court61Japan54Space51India49France49Germany47Mexico46Korea44Syria38Venezuela36Markets33Federal Reserve32Housing32Crypto29Yemen27Taiwan15
See all Topics

Have questions about informed.now? Get answers

Get factual news by text

Free forever with no bias, clickbait, or ads

Start (Free)