The across-the-board global tariff imposed by President Donald Trump took effect on Tuesday at 10%, lower than the 15% rate the president said would be implemented. 
A <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-40b3b7b">bulletin</a> issued Tuesday by Customs and Border Protection announced an “additional 10% ad valorem duty on imported articles of every country for a period of 150 days, unless specifically exempt.” The notice comes just days after Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hikes-his-new-tariffs-to-15-after-complete-review-of-scotus-decision?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Blasts+Past+Original+Tariff+Vow+After+Supreme+Court+Ruling">said</a> that he would raise the global tariff rate to 15% “effective immediately.” 
“Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday, after MANY months of contemplation, by the United States Supreme Court, please let this statement serve to represent that I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social. 
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A White House official <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-global-tariff-start-10-percent-despite-announcement-15-percent-rcna260369">told</a> NBC News that the rate would start at 10% while officials prepare a separate executive order to increase it to 15%. The Daily Wire has reached out to the White House for clarification on the tariff rates. 
The Customs and Border Protection bulletin cited an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/02/imposing-a-temporary-import-surcharge-to-address-fundamental-international-payments-problems/">executive order</a> Trump signed Friday after the Supreme Court struck down his &#8220;Liberation Day” tariffs, which had been imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA). 

“I find that a surcharge in the form of ad valorem duties on certain imports is required to deal with the United States’ large and serious balance-of-payments deficit,” Trump wrote. “Accordingly, I impose, for a period of 150 days, a temporary import surcharge of 10 percent ad valorem, as described below, on articles imported into the United States, effective February 24, 2026.”
Products exempt from the tariffs include certain critical minerals, metals used in currency, energy and energy products, certain agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, certain electronics, and some passenger vehicles. 
These tariffs were imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes the president to address “certain fundamental international payment problems through surcharges and other special import restrictions.”
The Supreme Court ruling has led to uncertainty surrounding Trump’s broader economic agenda. On Monday, the European Union <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eu-pauses-trade-deal-after-trump-warns-countries-not-to-play-games?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=EU+Pauses+Trade+Deal+After+Trump+Warns+Countries+Not+To+‘Play+Games’">moved</a> to pause adoption of a trade deal with the United States that had been negotiated under Trump’s IEEPA tariffs.

President Trump Holds Press Briefing On Supreme Court’s Decision To Strike Down His Global Tariffs

Trump’s Global Tariffs Kick In At Lower Rate Than Expected

Customs and Border Protection (CPB)

Donald Trump

Economy

Politics

Supreme Court

Tariffs

trade

The European Union has paused approval of a trade deal with the United States following warnings from President Donald Trump that countries should not “play games” in response to a Supreme Court ruling striking down many of his tariffs. 
Bernd Lange, the chair of the European Parliament’s international trade committee, <a href="https://x.com/berndlange/status/2025945751197524466">announced</a> Monday that a trade agreement reached in July 2025, known as the Turnberry Deal, has been put “on hold until further notice!”
“Clarity &amp; legal certainty are needed before any further steps can be taken,” Lange wrote on social media. 
The announcement came as Trump warned that he could raise tariffs on countries that alter their course in response to the Supreme Court ruling. 
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“Any Country that wants to ‘play games’ with the ridiculous supreme court (sic) decision, especially those that have ‘Ripped Off’ the U.S.A. for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher Tariff, and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116120439459742948">said</a> Monday on Truth Social. 
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-secures-biggest-of-all-trade-deals-with-eu">trade deal</a> would have established a baseline 15% tariff on imports from the European Union, with higher rates for steel and aluminum. The bloc also agreed to purchase $750 billion in American energy, invest an additional $600 billion into the United States, and purchase American military equipment. 
After the Supreme Court ruled Friday, Trump announced a 10% global tariff on all imports into the United States. He later said he would raise it to 15%, though that increase has not yet taken effect. The 10% tariffs went into effect Tuesday morning, but a White House official <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-global-tariff-start-10-percent-despite-announcement-15-percent-rcna260369" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent">told</a> NBC News that they would be increased to 15% once the proper documentation was ready for the president to sign.
Lange <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/24/us-eu-trade-deal-eu-parliament-suspends-trade-deal-trump-tariffs-eu-retaliation-aci.html">claimed</a> that those actions violated the terms of the trade agreement. 
“We wanted to have really stability and predictability. And unfortunately, the government, the president of the United States, has really made a breach of this deal several times,” he told CNBC on Tuesday. “We need clarity, and this is also my clear request for the United States government — give us a certainty that for the next three years, we have no other irritations with new tariffs from the United States, and then we stick to the deal.”
In his dissent from the decision striking down Trump’s tariff, Justice Brett Kavanaugh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kavanaugh-trump-has-other-legal-paths-to-keep-tariffs-in-place-despite-scotus-ruling">warned</a> that the ruling “could generate uncertainty” around trade agreements negotiated under the tariffs imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA).
Beyond adding confusion to existing trade agreements, the tariff decision has also prompted further litigation. On Monday, FedEx sued the Trump administration seeking a full refund of the tariffs it paid under IEEPA.

U.S. President Donald Trump Visits Scotland For Golfing Getaway

EU Pauses Trade Deal After Trump Warns Countries Not To ‘Play Games’

European Union

Executive

Global Politics

President Donald Trump tore into Canada again on Monday, threatening to prevent the opening of a bridge connecting Ontario to Michigan — a project finally nearing completion after almost eight years of construction.
Trump blasted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for holding trade talks with China as Canada continues to levy tariffs on U.S. products. The president said that Canada must treat &#8220;the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve,&#8221; and until that happens, he will not allow the bridge to open.
&#8220;The Tariffs Canada charges us for our Dairy products have, for many years, been unacceptable, putting our Farmers at great financial risk. I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116043090074364624">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY.&#8221;
The bridge, which is named after Detroit Red Wings hockey legend Gordie Howe, would connect Windsor, Ontario, to the Motor City. The Canadian government paid for its construction and would jointly own the bridge with the state of Michigan, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/09/trump-threatens-to-block-gordie-howe-international-bridge-from-opening-michigan-ontario-canada/88597688007/">reported</a>.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is slated to open sometime this year, but Trump&#8217;s threat could throw a wrench in those plans. While the bridge would be partly owned by Michigan, Trump could prevent the bridge from being operational by declining to staff the port of entry with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, however, promised Michigan&#8217;s Democratic senators last year that the crossing would be staffed.
Trump complained that Canada constructed the bridge &#8220;with virtually no U.S. content,&#8221; adding, &#8220;They own both the Canada and the United States side.&#8221; Trump also criticized former President Barack Obama for &#8220;stupidly&#8221; granting Canada a waiver &#8220;so they could get around the BUY AMERICAN Act, and not use any American products, including our Steel.&#8221;
Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who met with Trump in the Oval Office last year, wasn&#8217;t concerned with the bridge&#8217;s grand opening being pushed back because of Trump&#8217;s comments.
&#8220;It&#8217;s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting,&#8221; a Whitmer spokeswoman said on Monday. The spokeswoman said the Gordie Howe Bridge is &#8220;a tremendous example of bipartisan and international cooperation.&#8221;
The bridge would allow people to cross the border by bike, on foot, or in a vehicle. There are currently two ways for vehicles to cross from Detroit into Windsor, or vice versa: through the Windsor Tunnel, which runs under the Detroit River, or across the Ambassador Bridge, a 96-year-old suspension bridge. The Gordie Howe International Bridge would help with traffic congestion at the U.S.-Canada border crossing while also providing a more direct connection between I-75 and Ontario&#8217;s Highway 401.
Last month, Canada and China reached a preliminary agreement on trade that would lower some tariffs, including on Chinese electric vehicles shipped to Canada. After Prime Minister Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping held trade talks, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115950424403894234">threatened</a> to increase U.S. tariffs on Canadian products to 100% if the two countries reached a deal. Trump also warned Carney against allowing China to use Canada as a &#8220;drop off port&#8221; to send its goods into the United States.
&#8220;China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.&#8221;
On Monday, Trump warned that if Canada agrees to a deal with China, &#8220;The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Gordie Howe International Bridge

Trump Rips Canada, Threatens To Shut Down Grand Opening Of Bridge Connecting Ontario To Michigan

Canada

China

Michigan

President Donald Trump said that he spoke to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum over the phone on Thursday about multiple issues and praised the leader, whom he has recently criticized.
Trump said the call with Sheinbaum &#8220;focused on the Border, stopping Drug Trafficking, and Trade&#8221; and went &#8220;extremely well for both Countries.&#8221; He added that he hopes to set up a meeting between the United States and Mexico soon.
&#8220;Mexico has a wonderful and highly intelligent Leader — They should be very happy about that!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115979311914390909">said</a>.
Sheinbaum <a href="https://x.com/Claudiashein/status/2016893373026607529">said</a> her call with Trump was &#8220;productive and cordial.&#8221;
&#8220;We continue to make progress on trade issues and the bilateral relationship,&#8221; she added.
Trump and Sheinbaum have butted heads throughout the past year over Trump&#8217;s tariffs and his suggestion that the United States could target drug traffickers in Mexico. Last May, Trump reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-pressures-mexico-to-allow-u-s-military-to-lead-fight-against-drug-cartels?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Pressures+Mexico+To+Allow+U.S.+Military+To+Lead+Fight+Against+Drug+Cartels">pressured</a> Sheinbaum to allow U.S. troops to go into the country to fight the drug cartels, but Sheinbaum was not willing to give U.S. forces the green light. Trump then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-mexicos-president-afraid-to-let-american-troops-come-fight-cartels?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+Mexico%E2%80%99s+President+%E2%80%98Afraid%E2%80%99+To+Let+American+Troops+Come+Fight+Cartels">blasted</a> Sheinbaum, saying she was &#8220;afraid&#8221; and &#8220;can’t even think straight.&#8221;
The Mexican president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mexican-president-says-u-s-military-will-not-fight-drug-cartels-on-its-soil?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Mexican+President+Says+U.S.+Military+Will+Not+Fight+Drug+Cartels+On+Its+Soil">doubled down</a> on her opposition to Trump sending U.S. troops to her country in August after The New York Times reported that Trump quietly signed an order to use military force against drug cartels in foreign countries.
&#8220;The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military,&#8221; Sheinbaum said, adding, &#8220;We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out. It is not part of any agreement, far from it. When it has been brought up, we have always said no.&#8221;
After the United States captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, Trump <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/09/americas/analysis-mexican-drug-cartels-trump-intl-latam">said</a> the cartels are &#8220;running Mexico,&#8221; adding that &#8220;we have to do something&#8221; about drugs &#8220;pouring through Mexico.&#8221; He again said Sheinbaum was &#8220;afraid&#8221; to deal with Mexican cartels.
As the United States conducts strikes on suspected drug runner boats in international waters in the Caribbean, Trump also suggested last week that he would authorize strikes on drug runners on highly-trafficked land passages, which could include Mexico.
&#8220;We’re going to hit the cartels,” he <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/24/us-news/trump-reveals-to-the-post-on-land-drug-strikes-could-hit-anywhere-including-mexico-central-and-south-america/">told</a> the New York Post. &#8220;We know their routes. We know everything about them. We know their homes. We know everything about them. We’re going to hit the cartels.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s tariffs have also represented a conflict between him and the Mexican leader. After Trump hit Mexico, Canada, and China with tariffs over what he called their failure to address fentanyl trafficking, Sheinbaum said Mexico would retaliate, but the country paused its retaliatory tariffs on the United States as it sought to negotiate a trade deal, and many products from Mexico are protected under the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA).
On Wednesday, Mexico&#8217;s economy chief Marcelo Ebrard met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington, D.C., to discuss potential changes to the USMCA, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/mexicos-sheinbaum-says-she-had-productive-call-with-trump-trade-2026-01-29/">reported</a>. The USMCA went into effect in 2020 and is up for a joint review in July, when the United States, Mexico, and Canada must come to an agreement for the pact to be extended.

Trump/Sheinbaum

Trump Praises Mexico’s President After Phone Call Addressing Border, Drug Trafficking, And Trade

Claudia Sheinbaum

Drug Cartels

drug trafficking

Mexico

U.S.

President Donald Trump made his argument for keeping his far-reaching &#8220;reciprocal tariffs&#8221; on Monday and said that the United States would be &#8220;screwed&#8221; if the Supreme Court rules against his unprecedented trade policy.
The Supreme Court could release its highly anticipated decision on the tariff case as soon as Wednesday, but it remains unknown when exactly the court will rule on the Trump administration&#8217;s emergency appeal. Trump said that a ruling against his administration would force the United States to pay back &#8220;hundreds of billions of dollars.&#8221;
&#8220;The actual numbers that we would have to pay back if, for any reason, the Supreme Court were to rule against the United States of America on Tariffs, would be many Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and that doesn’t include the amount of &#8216;payback&#8217; that Countries and Companies would require for the Investments they are making on building Plants, Factories, and Equipment, for the purpose of being able to avoid the payment of Tariffs,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115883475463948362">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
The United States collected around $200 billion in tariff revenue last year, largely thanks to Trump&#8217;s tariffs, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Trump has used his so-called reciprocal tariffs to pressure companies to manufacture products in the United States to avoid his hefty import taxes. He argued that, taking foreign investments into account, the repercussions of a ruling against his tariffs could result in trillions of dollars no longer going into the U.S. economy.
&#8220;It would be a complete mess, and almost impossible for our Country to pay. Anybody who says that it can be quickly and easily done would be making a false, inaccurate, or totally misunderstood answer to this very large and complex question,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;It may not be possible but, if it were, it would be Dollars that would be so large that it would take many years to figure out what number we are talking about and even, who, when, and where, to pay. Remember, when America shines brightly, the World shines brightly. In other words, if the Supreme Court rules against the United States of America on this National Security bonanza, WE’RE SCREWED!&#8221;
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, however, said that the United States wouldn&#8217;t have a problem paying tariff refunds, but he added that it would be &#8220;a corporate boondoggle.&#8221;
“Costco, who’s suing the U.S. government, are they going to give the money back to their clients?” Bessent asked.
During <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-liberation-day-tariffs-face-skepticism-among-some-supreme-court-justices">oral arguments</a> in November, some of the conservative justices who Trump will need to side with him appeared skeptical of the president&#8217;s authority to impose his global tariffs. The case centers on questions around the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and whether Trump’s tariffs should be considered a tax.
Trump’s Solicitor General, John Sauer, argued before the court that national emergencies related to the fentanyl crisis and America’s declining industrial base justify Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs. The court&#8217;s liberal justices appeared to side with the plaintiffs in the case, which are a group of American businesses. The businesses argue that tariffs act as taxes on the American people, and only Congress has the authority to levy taxes.
Conservative Justices John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett also expressed skepticism about some of the Trump administration&#8217;s arguments.

Trump: ‘We’re Screwed’ If SCOTUS Rules Against Wide-Ranging Tariffs

Trump: 'We're Screwed' If SCOTUS Rules Against Wide-Ranging Tariffs

The Trump administration did a victory lap on Wednesday as new data shows America&#8217;s trade deficit with foreign countries plummeting, but multiple economists told The Daily Wire that reducing the trade deficit does nothing to move the U.S. economy in the right direction.
A new report from the Commerce Department showed that the U.S. trade deficit decreased by 24% in August as the president&#8217;s tariffs hit countries around the globe. The White House <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991158360280826034">highlighted</a> the new trade data and said it is &#8220;more proof that President Trump’s trade and economic agenda continues to pay off for the American people.&#8221;
&#8220;As the President’s historic trade deals and pro-growth policies continue to take effect and trillions in investments to make and hire in America continue to materialize, Americans can rest assured that the best is yet to come,&#8221; White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.
A trade deficit occurs when a country&#8217;s imports — the products it brings into the country from other nations — exceed its exports — what it ships to other countries to be sold in their markets. Trump has <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/regulating-imports-with-a-reciprocal-tariff-to-rectify-trade-practices-that-contribute-to-large-and-persistent-annual-united-states-goods-trade-deficits/">argued</a> that the United States has been unfairly treated by its trading partners, partially due to &#8220;large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits.&#8221;
The data, released by the Commerce Department&#8217;s Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/us-trade-deficit-narrows-sharply-august-imports-fall-2025-11-19/">shows</a> that as Trump&#8217;s tariffs took hold, U.S. imports decreased 5.1%, while exports remained flat. For comparison, U.S. imports rose in July while many of the president&#8217;s tariffs were still in limbo, suggesting that American companies were stocking up on products before the tariffs went into effect. Now, companies are importing fewer products and machinery as they seek to avoid paying high tariffs for their goods, which could be a concerning sign about the future of the U.S. economy, according to Colin Grabow, associate director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the libertarian Cato Institute.
&#8220;It was reported that the decline in the trade deficit was more specifically due to U.S. firms reducing their purchases of machinery, industrial supplies, pharmaceutical ingredients, and telecom equipment, and this really speaks to the misplaced obsession some people have with trying to reduce imports or thinking that reduction is a good thing,&#8221; Grabow said. &#8220;These are all imports used in the production of stuff. We take foreign machinery and we put it in American factories and we make stuff. Well, if we&#8217;re importing less of that, it tells me we&#8217;re going to be producing less stuff.&#8221;
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E.J. Antoni, the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, said that while a deficit is usually a negative term when talking about money, a trade deficit can often be a good thing. Antoni argued that trade deficits driven by foreign investments are positive for the United States and have been the norm for most of American history.
&#8220;From even before our nation was founded, before the Revolutionary War all the way through the Gilded Age in the late 19th century, we ran a trade deficit in every single year except for seven years. And of those seven years, in four of them we were at war with Great Britain, so obviously they didn&#8217;t want to trade with us very much, and the other three were banking panics when Americans were basically so poor they couldn&#8217;t afford anything from abroad.&#8221;
Antoni explained that it&#8217;s more important for Americans to look at how and why the trade deficit is shifting, saying it&#8217;s better for a trade deficit to be driven up by foreign investments than for the deficit to come down because the United States sold off revenue-generating assets.
&#8220;When it comes to international trade, much of the assessment of whether things are good or bad for Americans comes down to not just the numbers themselves, but why the numbers are moving in one direction or another,&#8221; Antoni said. &#8220;Again, a trade deficit is not in and of itself bad. It&#8217;s a complete misnomer.&#8221;
Dr. Wayne Winegarden, senior fellow in economics at the free-market Pacific Research Institute, told The Daily Wire that he was confused by why the Trump administration was celebrating a decrease in the trade deficit.
&#8220;When we&#8217;re saying the trade deficit is smaller, we&#8217;re simultaneously saying the capital surplus is smaller.&#8221; Winegarden said.
&#8220;Over the last three months, exports have basically stagnated, we&#8217;re not selling any more overseas,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Imports are down, meaning consumers have less access to affordable goods and manufacturers have less access to the materials they need, so I&#8217;m trying to figure out how that&#8217;s a good thing.&#8221;

Photo of Trump: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Illustrated by The Daily Wire

America’s Trade Deficit Is Dropping Thanks To Trump’s Tariffs. Will That Improve The Economy?

Economics

President Donald Trump said he discussed numerous issues with Chinese communist leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, including a potential trade deal and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump and Xi spoke for about an hour and 40 minutes in South Korea, the last leg of Trump&#8217;s weeklong trip to Asia. During the summit, Trump was joined by multiple top White House officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“Overall, I guess on the scale of from zero to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12,” Trump said.
The president said that he and Xi have &#8220;come to conclusions on very many important points,&#8221; adding that a trade deal could be signed &#8220;pretty soon.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his meeting with President Xi: &#8220;I thought it was an amazing meeting&#8230; a lot of decisions were made, too — there wasn&#8217;t too much left out there, and we&#8217;ve come to conclusion on many very important points.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/cr81Yojr24">pic.twitter.com/cr81Yojr24</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983911291866538068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Here are the key points that Trump and Xi discussed:
<h3>Rare Earth Minerals</h3>
Trump secured an important win for the United States and the rest of the world on rare earth minerals, with Xi agreeing to pause export controls for one year. Trump said China&#8217;s pause could be “very routinely extended as time goes by.”
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&#8220;Now, every year we’ll renegotiate the deal, but I think the deal will go on for a long time, long beyond the year,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But all of the rare earth has been settled, and that’s for the world.”
&#8220;That roadblock is gone now,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;There&#8217;s no roadblock at all on rare earth. That will hopefully disappear from our vocabulary for a little while.&#8221;
<h3>Tariffs and Fentanyl</h3>
Trump said that tariffs on China will be slashed from 57% to 47% after Xi promised that his country would take more action to prevent fentanyl from being trafficked into the United States.
&#8220;On fentanyl, we agreed that he was going to work very hard to stop the flow,&#8221; Trump told reporters as he flew back to the United States on Air Force One. &#8220;It&#8217;s a very complex subject because it&#8217;s used for lots of different reasons, including anesthetics and things, but he&#8217;s going to work very hard on it.&#8221;
Trump added that he is hopeful that China will take &#8220;some real action.&#8221; After Xi promised to address the issue, Trump said that his 20% tariff on China that was imposed in response to fentanyl trafficking will be reduced to 10%, dropping the overall tariff rate on the communist country to 47%, &#8220;effective immediately.&#8221;
<h3>Trump Trip to China</h3>
President Trump said he will travel to China in April for continuing talks, while Xi will visit the United States &#8220;some time after that.&#8221; Trump said he expects a trade deal with China to happen &#8220;pretty soon.&#8221;
&#8220;The whole relationship is very important, and I think [the meeting] was very good,&#8221; Trump added.
<h3>Oil and Gas</h3>
While no deal was reached on China purchasing oil and gas from Alaska during the summit, Trump said he&#8217;s optimistic that an agreement will be signed in the future. The president added that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will meet with Chinese officials to continue oil and gas negotiations.
<h3>Computer Chips</h3>
Xi promised to discuss the potential purchase of computer chips from U.S. tech companies, such as Nvidia, according to Trump.
&#8220;I said that&#8217;s really between you and Nvidia, but we&#8217;re sort of the arbitrator or the referee,&#8221; Trump said, adding that it would be &#8220;good for us&#8221; if China bought more chips from the United States.
<h3>Ukraine-Russia War</h3>
The ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia &#8220;came up&#8221; during Trump&#8217;s meeting with Xi, and the two leaders &#8220;talked about it for a long time,&#8221; according to Trump. Xi has been friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and China has been accused of sending military equipment to Russia during the war.
&#8220;We&#8217;re both going to work together to see if we can get something done,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We agree that the sides are locked in fighting, and sometimes you have to let them fight, I guess. But he&#8217;s going to help us, and we&#8217;re going to work together on Ukraine.&#8221;
China also buys large amounts of oil from Russia, but Trump said that topic didn&#8217;t come up during the meeting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;Ukraine came up very strongly. We talked about it for a long time, and we&#8217;re both going to work together to see if we can get something done,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his meeting with President Xi.
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to work together on Ukraine.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ygzOKy9Gvn">pic.twitter.com/ygzOKy9Gvn</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983915198147612876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3>Taiwan &#8216;Not Discussed&#8217;</h3>
Trump also said that Taiwan &#8220;never came up&#8221; during the meeting. Xi has long had his sights set on Taiwan, a vital island nation that currently manufactures around 90% of the world&#8217;s most advanced semiconductors.
&#8220;It was not discussed, actually,&#8221; he said.
<h3>Farm Products</h3>
Xi promised that China would purchase American soybeans, sorghum, and other farm products. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added during an interview with Fox Business that China would buy 12 million metric tons of American soybeans before the end of the year and 25 million metric tons over the next three years.
Listen to Trump&#8217;s remarks below:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="President Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One, Oct. 30, 2025" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KjqKGq3-C9Q?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Donald Trump/Xi Jinping

Trump Calls Xi Summit A ’12’ Out Of 10 – Here’s What Went Down

rare earth minerals

Xi Jinping

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he had “pretty much” finalized the details of a trade deal with South Korea that is expected to bring hundreds of billions of dollars in investments into the United States. 
Trump’s announcement came after he arrived in South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The regional economic forum will be the last stop on Trump&#8217;s trade-focused Asia tour before he returns to the United States. 
“We had a tremendous meeting today with South Korea,” Trump said. “Pretty much finalized a trade deal, and we discussed some other things having to do with national security, etc. And I think we came to a conclusion on a lot of very important items.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We had a tremendous meeting today with South Korea — with lots determined&#8230; We pretty much finalized a trade deal and we discussed some other things having to do with national security.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/I3KWsgAhFf">pic.twitter.com/I3KWsgAhFf</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983492447146533227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Under the terms of the agreement, South Korea is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/29/trump-announces-trade-breakthrough-with-south-korea-on-asia-trip.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to invest a total of $350 billion in the United States, including $200 billion in cash and $150 million in shipbuilding. Tariffs on cars will also be slashed from 25% to 15%, according to South Korean officials. 
Upon his arrival in South Korea, Trump was given a series of elaborate gifts by officials, including a replica golden crown and a laurel leaf medal. 
Later, during a dinner with officials, Trump spoke about the rocky relationship between North and South Korea. 
&#8220;I won&#8217;t forget the trip and we&#8217;ll be working together and you have a little bit of a cloud over your country, and we&#8217;re going to get that cloud solved. You have a neighbor that hasn&#8217;t been as nice as they could be, and I think they will be. I know Kim Jong Un very well, and I think things will work out very well.&#8221;
Trump said he was open to meeting Kim during the trip, but the North Korean dictator has so far declined to engage.
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Trump’s meeting with South Korea comes ahead of a much-anticipated Thursday meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. 
“We&#8217;ve been talking a lot over the last month, and I think we&#8217;re going to have something that&#8217;s going to be very, very satisfactory to China and to us. I think we&#8217;re going to have… I think it&#8217;s going to be a very good meeting. I look forward to it tomorrow morning,” Trump said. 
Trump echoed those remarks on Truth Social, saying his Asia trip would bring back trillions of dollars to the United States and that his meeting with Xi would be “great” for both nations. 
Earlier this month, Trump threatened to cancel his planned meeting with Xi after he accused China of taking “very hostile” actions on trade.

SKOREA-POLITICS-APEC

Trump’s Asia Tour Delivers: South Korea Deal ‘Pretty Much Finalized,’ China Talks Next

North Korea

South Korea

TOKYO — Long associated with American ruggedness, pickup trucks such as Ford&#8217;s top-selling F-150 have now become a symbol of international trade talks, showing how far countries such as Japan will go to win over U.S. President Donald Trump.
When Trump met Japan&#8217;s new prime minister and first female premier, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo on Tuesday, an F-150 was parked prominently outside the Akasaka Palace venue.
Burly U.S. pickup trucks are a rare sight in the Japanese capital, where the streets are narrow and turns can be tight.
But the placement of the F-150, which is not typically available for sale in Japan, sent a clear message about Tokyo&#8217;s willingness to buy more cars from its ally, an issue that has been a sticking point for Trump for decades.
Last week, Reuters reported that Takaichi&#8217;s government was working on a package to buy F-150 trucks, an idea originally floated by Trump, as well as soybeans and gas.
&#8220;Well, that&#8217;s great. She has good taste,&#8221; Trump told reporters on Air Force One, when asked about the report. &#8220;That’s a hot truck.&#8221;
In August, Trump said Japan was ready to purchase the &#8220;very beautiful&#8221; F-150.
It was not clear how many F-150s Japan planned to buy.
Japanese government sources have told Reuters the trucks would probably end up being used as snow plows, given their size.
Japan and Europe, Trump has often argued, refuse to accept U.S. cars even as Japanese and European automakers sell millions of their vehicles each year in the United States.
The F-150 won&#8217;t be the first American car brought in to Japan to help ease trade friction. Three decades ago, Toyota responded to U.S. pressure by selling a mid-sized General Motors car under its own brand in Japan.
The Toyota Cavalier was introduced with much fanfare, sold poorly, and quietly faded after a few years, said John Shook, a former Toyota manager and an auto industry veteran in both Japan and the United States.
A third of the 3.7 million new cars sold in Japan last year were mini or &#8220;kei&#8221; cars, tiny vehicles that are not produced by American automakers.
Foreign cars accounted for 6% of new car sales overall, with European brands among some of the top sellers, industry data showed, while Ford itself pulled out of Japan almost a decade ago.
Separately, Trump said Toyota would open auto plants in the United States to the tune of $10 billion.
A Toyota spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on Trump&#8217;s remarks.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and David Dolan; Additional reporting by Maki Shiraki; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Ros Russell)

A Ford F-150 and a Toyota pickup truck are parked outside of Akasaka Palace, in Tokyo

Trump’s ‘Hot Truck’ Becomes Symbol Of Japan Trade Talks

Ford Motor Co.

Japan

The Trump administration and Japan reached a deal on rare earth minerals on Tuesday and unveiled a list of projects included in a $550 billion investment proposal stemming from a July trade agreement.
The rare earth deal, which President Donald Trump signed alongside Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, establishes a mutual stockpiling arrangement and stipulates that the United States and Japan will cooperate with international partners to protect the supply chain, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-takaichi-agree-rare-earth-critical-minerals-supply-2025-10-28/">reported</a>. Trump has been pushing to better secure the rare-earth supply chain and cut into China&#8217;s stranglehold over rare-earth minerals.
Along with the rare-earth deal, the United States and Japan released a list of proposed projects to boost Japanese investment in the U.S. economy. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983119054983287061">said</a> at a press conference alongside Trump on Tuesday that the proposals &#8220;are driven by the Japanese strategic investment initiative, which was created by [Trump&#8217;s] tariff policy and by [Trump&#8217;s] historic trade agreement with Japan.&#8221;
Lutnick added that the initial investment totals $490 billion, which he called the &#8220;launch phase,&#8221; Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-28/trump-hails-japan-alliance-offers-takaichi-anything-you-want">reported</a>. After the &#8220;launch phase,&#8221; more projects would then be considered for the total $550 billion project. The proposed Japanese investments were a key part of the U.S.-Japan trade deal agreed upon in July, when President Trump lowered tariffs on Japanese auto imports from 27.5% to 15%, and in exchange, Japan <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/business/japan-investment-trump-tariffs.html">agreed</a> to invest $550 billion in the United States.
The two allies announced numerous investment projects spanning energy and critical minerals, as well as artificial intelligence development. Among the proposed projects is a plan to invest up to $100 billion for the construction of nuclear reactors and small modular reactors in the United States. That proposal would involve the American manufacturing company Westinghouse and include the &#8220;involvement of Japanese suppliers and operators, such as Mitsubishi, Heavy Industries, Toshiba Group, and IHI,&#8221; according to a Japanese government <a href="https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2025/10/20251028002/20251028002-a.pdf">handout</a>. Another $100 billion energy proposal would build more small modular reactors in the United States with some investment from Japanese companies.
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“These are great companies, many of them household names — that you would expect — that are going to build infrastructure and improve the national economic security of the United States,” said Lutnick.
President Trump also <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983080708055900442">said</a> that Toyota planned to invest more than $10 billion in U.S. auto plants. During a speech to U.S. troops in Japan, Trump said, &#8220;I was just told by the prime minister that Toyota is going to be putting auto plants all over the United States to the tune of over $10 billion.&#8221;
&#8220;And that&#8217;s a lot to do with because we have all the AI plants, we have so many things happening in the United States,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;And it&#8217;s because of November 5th election day, but it&#8217;s also because of tariffs.&#8221;
The Toyota investment was not mentioned in the government fact sheet released on Tuesday.
Other investment proposals mentioned included a $30 billion proposal for Mitsubishi Electric to supply generators, transmission, and distribution systems, as well as equipment for AI data centers. A $15 million proposal included Panasonic supplying &#8220;energy storage systems, and other electronics, to contribute to strengthening supply chains in the U.S.&#8221;
The major U.S.-Japan announcements on Tuesday come just two days before Trump is expected to meet with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, a meeting Trump hopes will lead to a trade deal.

President Trump Meets With Prime Minister Of Japan

More Trump Trade Wins: U.S. And Japan Strike Rare Earth Pact, Announce Strategic Investment Deal

Energy

Howard Lutnick

President Donald Trump said Monday that he would consider extending his Asia trip to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, Trump said that he would “love” to meet with Kim. Trump is currently in Japan and is set to end his Asia trip with a visit to South Korea. Trump first floated the possibility of meeting with Kim before departing on Friday for a five-day trip to Asia that has focused on trade. 
“I haven’t mentioned it. I haven’t said anything, but I’d love to meet with him if he’d like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him. He liked me. If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” Trump said when asked if he had any plans to meet with Kim. 
If they did have a meeting, Trump suggested they would discuss sanctions. 
“Well, we have sanctions. It’s pretty big. I would say that&#8217;s about as big as you get,” Trump said. “I just had a good relationship with him. I would love to see him if he wants to, if he even gets this message. We haven&#8217;t mentioned that, but he knows I&#8217;m going over there. If he&#8217;d like to meet, I&#8217;d love to meet him.”
In September, Kim <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/27/trump-asia-trip/">reportedly</a> said that he would meet with Trump if “the U.S. drops its hollow obsession with denuclearization.”
During his first term, Trump became the first president to cross into North Korea’s demilitarized zone and meet with Kim to discuss the communist country&#8217;s nuclear program. He met with Kim on two other occasions. 
Last month, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-accuses-china-of-plotting-against-us-as-xi-flexes-military-power-alongside-putin?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Accuses+China+Of+Plotting+Against+US+As+Xi+Flexes+Military+Power+Alongside+Putin">accused</a> North Korea of conspiring with Russia and China against the United States after Kim attended a massive Chinese military parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. 
“May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”
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While in South Korea, American officials will finalize the details of a trade agreement. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that the overall framework of a deal with South Korea was in place and that the final details were being worked out. 
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the talks were focusing on removing non-tariff barriers to trade imposed by South Korea. South Korea is also expected to invest heavily in American shipbuilding. 
“We&#8217;re very much involved in getting the shipbuilding going again, which really we should have never lost years ago,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We were number one.&#8221;

VIETNAM-US-NKOREA-DIPLOMACY-SUMMIT

Trump: ‘I’d Love’ Another Sit-Down With North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

Kim Jong Un

Nuclear

TOKYO — Conservative Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan&#8217;s first female prime minister on Tuesday, shattering a political glass ceiling for women and setting the country up for a decisive turn to the Right.
An acolyte of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and an admirer of Britain&#8217;s Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi is expected to return to Abe-style government stimulus as she attempts to jumpstart an economy struggling with slow growth and rising prices. Her victory marks a pivotal shift in a country where men hold overwhelming sway, yet she named just two women to her cabinet.
Takaichi is likely to make a sharp turn to the Right on immigration and defense, reflecting the broader rightward shift in global politics. In her first press conference, she promised to work tirelessly to restore Japan&#8217;s economic might, and deepen the relationship with the United States under President Donald Trump.
&#8220;I am determined to deliver results for the nation, to build a strong Japan and to never give up,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;I also plan to meet President Trump at an early date to elevate the Japan-U.S. relationship to new heights,&#8221; she said.
Her victory was secured after her Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of postwar history, agreed on Monday to form a coalition with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin.
Together, the parties are two seats short of a majority in the lower house. For Takaichi to be successful, she will need to find ways to cooperate with opposition lawmakers, said Tadashi Mori, a professor of politics at Aichi Gakuin University.
“The two parties do not command a majority in either chamber and to ensure a stable government and gain control of key parliamentary committees, they will need to secure more than half the seats,” he said.
Takaichi named just two women to her cabinet: Fellow Abe disciple Satsuki Katayama becomes the country&#8217;s first female finance minister, while Kimi Onoda becomes economic security minister.
In her leadership campaign, she promised to boost the number of women in the cabinet to match socially progressive Nordic countries. But while the percentage of female ministers in Nordic governments ranges from Denmark&#8217;s 36% to Finland&#8217;s 61%, under Takaichi, women will make up only 16% of Japan&#8217;s cabinet, including her.
Takaichi takes over when Japanese politics appears more fractured than at almost any other time in recent memory, thanks in part to the rise of the smaller, hard-right Sanseito Party, which has siphoned voters away from the LDP.
Sanseito chief Sohei Kamiya said that both national politics and the LDP had been on a leftward drift since the assassination of former premier Abe in 2022. Takaichi, he told broadcaster NHK, could possibly reverse that.
&#8220;While we won’t hesitate to oppose her when necessary, we intend to maintain a friendly working relationship,” he said.
The LDP&#8217;s former coalition partner, the more moderate Komeito, broke up their 26-year-old alliance this month after the LDP chose the right-wing Takaichi as new leader.
Takaichi&#8217;s endorsement of Abe-style fiscal stimulus has prompted a so-called &#8220;Takaichi trade&#8221; in the stock market, sending the Nikkei share average to record highs, the most recent hit on Tuesday. However, it has also caused investor unease about the government&#8217;s ability to pay for increased spending when the debt load exceeds annual output. Both the yen and bond prices have weakened as a result.
Some analysts say Ishin, which has advocated for budget cuts, could restrain some of Takaichi&#8217;s spending ambitions.
Takaichi has said defense and national security would be core pillars of any administration she led.
A frequent visitor to the Yasukuni war shrine in Tokyo, which some Asian neighbours view as a symbol of wartime aggression, Takaichi has also called for a revision of Japan’s postwar pacifist constitution to recognize the existence of the nation’s military forces.
Rising political star Shinjiro Koizumi will serve as defense minister, while veteran lawmaker Toshimitsu Motegi will be foreign minister.
Takaichi was sworn in as Japan&#8217;s 104th prime minister on Tuesday evening, succeeding Shigeru Ishiba, who last month announced his resignation to take responsibility for election losses.
(Reporting by Mariko Katsumura, Tim Kelly, Kantaro Komiya, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Satoshi Sugiyama and Kentaro Okasaka; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Kate Mayberry and Hugh Lawson)

Japanese lawmakers vote to elect the new prime minister, in Tokyo

In Historic Win, Conservative Sanae Takaichi Becomes Japan’s First Female Prime Minister

conservative

Sanae Takaichi

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