President Trump begins two days of meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, even as years of tariffs, tech restrictions and pressure on allies have failed to isolate Beijing. China's global trade surplus is on track to hit a record $1.2 trillion in 2025, and it has expanded trade ties and rare-earth leverage worldwide while exports to the U.S. fell. Meanwhile, Trump's disputes with traditional U.S. allies over tariffs and defense spending have left some countries more hesitant to align firmly with Washington against China.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-23
A commentary argues that the United States should prioritize building products manufactured domestically, citing repeated disruptions from the pandemic, tariffs, and geopolitical conflicts that have exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains. The piece points to newer, economical and more sustainable American-made building materials as a viable alternative to imported goods.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-23
Germany's automotive sector is confronting a sharp downturn, with European car sales dropping from nearly 18 million units in 2019 to about 13 million in 2025. Rising competition from Chinese manufacturers, new 25 percent US tariffs on imports, and an aging workforce have combined to push Volkswagen Group toward considering shutting four of its domestic factories, a move once thought unimaginable.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-22
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are set to hold their second in-person summit of the year in Washington, aiming to shore up a fragile trade truce reached in Busan. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged that some Chinese commitments from that earlier deal remain unfulfilled, even as both sides continue trading accusations and retaliatory trade measures. The talks arrive amid rising tension over artificial intelligence policy, shifting American tariff plans, and an Iran-related sanctions campaign that could complicate any economic breakthrough.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-21
Trump and Xi Jinping are set for a rare high-profile meeting at the White House, with Trump personally greeting Xi at Joint Base Andrews on September 23. Ahead of the summit, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and trade representative Jamieson Greer are meeting China's vice premier He Lifeng to hash out an agenda covering tariffs, rare earth minerals, technology competition, and Taiwan. The immediate pressure point is the Busan trade truce, which paused tariff hikes and port fees but expires November 10.
wired.com
· 2026-09-21
Polymarket's aggressive push for growth reportedly outpaced its fraud controls, creating vulnerabilities that bad actors were able to exploit. The prediction market platform's scaling priorities appear to have left compliance and security measures lagging behind user growth.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-21
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York to discuss economic and trade issues, including AI, tariffs and rare earths, ahead of a planned summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also joined the discussions, which Bessent described as laying the groundwork for the leaders' meeting.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-20
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed granting Canada associate membership in the EU, a first-of-its-kind status meant to deepen ties as U.S. pressure pushes Ottawa toward Europe. President Trump called the plan a 'hostile act' and warned he would respond with additional tariffs on the bloc.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-17
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday for the first time since 2023, increasing borrowing costs for consumers just as prices for electronics, groceries and housing have been climbing for the past year and a half. Economists note that even if the Fed succeeds in slowing inflation toward its 2% target, existing price increases won't reverse, meaning consumers face a higher cost baseline going forward.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-16
Mastercard's newly appointed marketing chief is reworking the company's longtime 'Priceless' branding into a global campaign centered on small businesses. The initiative comes as small firms grapple with rising energy costs tied to Middle East conflict, tariff-driven supply chain disruptions, and increasing labor expenses.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-15
A new executive order prohibits installing foreign-produced bulk-power system equipment deemed a national security threat, explicitly naming battery energy storage systems, inverters and transformers. This follows earlier measures including 2022 tax credit restrictions tied to sourcing of battery minerals and components, a 2025 rule requiring 55% non-Chinese materials for storage projects starting in 2026, and tariffs on batteries that rose to 25% from 7.5% in January.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-09-10
A Boeing 767-300 cargo plane operated by 21 Air under Amazon's Prime Air branding overshot the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday and caught fire. At least five people died and five more were injured, forcing the airport to shut down its runways temporarily.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-08
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