
Despite the Trump administration's tariffs on Chinese goods and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. imports from China are surging as the year 2020 draws to a close, The New York Times reported.

France will require online technology giants to pay a new digital tax on their 2020 earnings, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, despite Washington's warning that it could retaliate with new tariffs on French imports.

About 3,500 U.S. companies, including Tesla Inc, Ford Motor Co, Target Corp, Walgreen Co, and Home Depot have sued the Trump administration in the last two weeks over the imposition of tariffs on more than US$300 billion in Chinese-made goods.

The United States reported last week the sale of 30,000 tons of rice to Brazil. This follows on the decision from the Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Trade (Camex) to slash tariffs on rice to zero, helping to reduce the price of the grain for consumers.

President Donald Trump’s administration took new steps to curb steel imports from Brazil and Mexico, boosting protections for battered U.S. steelmakers and jobs in the election battleground states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.

The World Trade Organization found on Tuesday that the United States breached global trading rules by imposing multibillion-dollar tariffs in President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, a ruling that drew anger from Washington.

The United States is investigating digital services taxes being adopted or considered by Britain, Italy, Brazil, and other countries, the US Trade Representative's office said on Tuesday, a move that could lead to new punitive tariffs and heighten trade tensions.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday raising tariffs on China is “certainly an option” as he considers ways to retaliate for the spread of the COVID-19 out of Wuhan, China.

Soybean output for Argentina -- the world's third-largest soy producer and exporter -- is forecast to be at 52 million tons, down 4.6% on February estimates and 6% year on year, in 2019-20 crop year (November-October), on dry conditions in Córdoba and Santa Fe, a Buenos Aires Grains Exchange report said on Thursday.

China said on Tuesday it would accept applications for new tariff exemptions for 696 products imported from the United States including key agricultural and energy products such as pork, beef, soybeans, liquefied natural gas and crude oil.