Soaring demand from Americans for everything from iPads to cars is leading to a surge in freight crossing the Pacific, hitting business owners such as Nephew.Read More
A boom in American consumers’ online shopping during the pandemic has prompted a boost in imports from Asia. But that left U.S. agriculture products without a ride back. Many ships aren’t waiting to be loaded with agricultural goods at West Coast ports before heading back across the ocean with empty containers. Plus, the Trump administration’s trade war hit apples hard. Read More
More countries are imposing export restrictions on essential medical materials, to try to keep domestically produced goods — like masks, gloves and ventilators — available for domestic needs. Read More
Right now, all sorts of products aren’t reaching the U.S. because of the coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China. Reciprocally, many U.S. agricultural and forestry products aren’t shipping back into China and other Pacific Rim countries. Global trade watchers say backed-up trade is building up on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. Read More
A delegation of Mexican government officials visited the Yakima Valley Monday to meet with dairy workers, most of whom are Mexican nationals. The group was looking to expand the role of the Mexican government in protecting the rights of workers.Read More
If there is a global war for tech talent, right now Canada is winning. And U.S. immigration policies are part of the reason.Read More
The recently signed Phase 1 U.S.-China deal promises some relief. Details remain unclear, but the United States government’s interpretation of this deal is that China will purchase $40 billion of agricultural goods in 2020. Some analysts have questioned how realistic those estimates are, given that the highest level of farm products the United States has ever exported to Read More
While the new deal with China lowers some trade barriers, it leaves many tariffs in place. And it dictates that China buy more from the U.S., but that has other trading partners worried.Read More
One day after its historic impeachment votes, the Democratic-led House gave President Donald Trump an overwhelming bipartisan victory Thursday on a renegotiated trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. By a 385-41 vote, the House approved a bill that puts in place terms of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.Read More
As part of the deal, the next round of 30% tariffs will not be imposed. More agriculture trade between the two countries is expected. Read More
A critical navigation lock on the lower Columbia River is expected to reopen this weekend, between 10 PM Friday and 10 AM Saturday, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read More
Since August 2018, NPR has been tracking about 80 items sold at a Georgia Walmart with an eye toward products caught in the trade war. On average, prices rose 3%. Tariffs are one of many factors.Read More
Right now, Northwest wheat farmers are wrapping up their harvest in many areas. But across the country, farmers are losing money on every load of that golden grain. Read More
World stock markets saw sharp sell-offs after China let its currency slide, the latest move in its trade war with the United States. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 767 points, or 2.9%.Read More
Lots of American companies have lost sales since the Trump administration and China embarked on the current cycle of tariff-raising and retaliation. Few, if any, have been compensated as handsomely as farmers.Read More
Mexican officials have "agreed to take strong measures to stem the tide of Migration" as part of the agreement, the president tweeted on Friday. The tariffs were to begin on Monday.Read More
President Trump announced that he will begin imposing tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico beginning June 10 unless that country does more to help reduce illegal immigration from Central America.Read More
The Chinese-owned Swedish automaker was originally planning to ship U.S.-made luxury sedans out of the Port of Charleston and send them to China. Trump's trade war threw a wrench in those plans.Read More
The Democrat announced his decision on ABC's The View, saying he is running to be a champion for manufacturing in a country that has been fractured by trade and outsourcing. Read More
Farmers who grow pulse crops -- garbanzo beans, lentils and peas -- are in a bind this winter. They have to decide very soon what they’re planting for next year, and contract their seed. Pulse crops are often an important rotation crop for Western wheat growers. But there are record amounts of garbanzo beans in dry storage, and little movement of that heavily-exported Read More
The Chinese government announced on Tuesday that it would impose tariffs on $60 billion more of U.S. exports. This widens the range of Pacific Northwest companies caught in the trade crossfire.Read More
The craft brewing industry in the Northwest is starting to feel pain from the Trump administration's steel and aluminum tariffs. Those metals are made into beer cans, kegs and fermentation tanks.Read More
At midnight, U.S. tariffs took effect on $34 billion worth of imported Chinese goods — and Beijing responded quickly. The tit for tat marks a significant escalation in the countries' trade dispute.Read More
American fruit growers are starting to ship more containers of fresh fruit into China again. In recent weeks, some fruit shipments were stuck in customs in China. Public radio has learned that special flights to bring Northwest cherries to China had even been canceled. But that squeeze now appears to be lessening.Read More
East of the Cascades, wheat farmers say there has been plenty of moisture over the winter and all things point to a good harvest. But the price and demand for that crop is very much in question.Read More
With China threatening to slap the United States with $3 billion in retaliatory tariffs, one group that is worried is Washington apple farmers.Read More
