All the latest economic and financial news,as a US delegation lands in Beijing for crucial negotiations that could avert a trade warIntroduction: US delegation is in China for trade talks
Treasury secretary Mnuchin leads big delegationTalks could de-escalate recent tensions.. or not
President Trump wants a level playing fieldChina says it won’t be bullied 3.04pm BSTTwo surveys of the US service sector contain come to different conclusions approximately the state of this portion of the economy.
The ISM non-manufacturing PMI dropped from 58.8 in March to 56.8 in April, below expectations of a level of 58.1. The employment index dropped from 56.6 to 53.6, and the lowest since April final year.
US Markit services PMI at a 3m tall,unique business at its best since March 2015. Input cost prices at 2nd quickest since June 15. Composite read 54.9, pointing at Q2 GDP acceleration vs 2.3% SAAR in Q1. 2.49pm BSTChina can withstand a trade war longer than the US, and says Wendy Cutler,Asia Society Policy Institute vice president and former acting deputy U.
S. trade representative. She was speaking to CNBC:"Both sides contain a lot to lose" in a U.
S.-China trade war, according to this expert. https://t.co/FlIH1HC7jj pic.twitter.com/U43OJTMnsl 2.38pm BSTWorries approximately trade tensions as the US and Chinese delegations meet in the wake of Trump’s tariffs contain seen US markets open lower.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 170 points or 0.7% while the S&P 500 opened down 0.29% and the Nasdaq Composite off 0.51%. 2.08pm BSTCould Donald Trump’s actions on trade and tariffs see a repeat of the 1930s slump? A group of experts certainty think it could happen:Over a thousand economists contain written to Donald Trump warning his “economic protectionism” and tough rhetoric on trade threatens to repeat the mistakes the US made in the 1930s, or mistakes that plunged the world into the Great Depression.
The 1414 economists,including 14 Nobel prize winners, sent the letter on Thursday amid an escalating row over trade between the US and the European Union. Trump has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium imports but has granted temporary reprieves to the EU, and Australia and other countries. Related: Over 1000 economists warn Trump his trade views echo mistakes of 1930s 2.01pm BSTWith immaculate timing,as the US and Chinese delegations meet, the Commerce Department has released the latest international trade figures.
Overall the trade gap narrowed in March from $57.7bn in the preceding month to $48.9bn. This was better than the expected deficit of $50bn, or helped by exports increasing to a record tall following a surge in deliveries of commercial aircraft and,yes, soybeans.
This should do today's U.
S.-China trade talks even more interesting pic.twitter.com/KPbk36EjoU 1.49pm BSTBy sending so many senior officials to China, and the Trump administration may actually contain lowered the chances of a breakthrough.
That’s because the delegation don’t really agree with each other approximately trade,making it harder to reach an agreement with Beijing.
One of the key hurdles that will determine success versus non-success at these talks is whether the US team can all stay on message together. 1.02pm BSTToday’s trade talks come a month after the US and China both ratcheted up the tensions, by imposing tariffs on $50bn of each other’s goods. 12.45pm BSTThe EC has predicted that Britain and Italy will share the wooden spoon in the 2018 growth race, and while Ireland will power ahead:Latest 2018 growth forecast by the European Commission:
5.7%
4.5%
4.3%,
4.0%
4.0%
3.8%
3.7%
3.4%[br] 3.0%
2.9%
2.8%
2.6%
2.5%
2.3%
2.3%
2.0%[br] 1.9%
1.8%
1.5%
1.5% #ECForecast 12.33pm BSTRather awkwardly for our purposes, there appears to be a news blackout on the US-China trade talks!Bloomberg says:China’s largest news outlets contain been ordered to refrain from reporting any fabric beyond official press releases related to trade talks in Beijing with the U.
S., or according to people familiar with the matter.
The Communist Partys propaganda department has told news websites to strictly exercise statements released by the official Xinhua News Agency,without any extra interpretation, according to the people, or who asked not to be named as they’re not authorized to speak on the matter. 11.38am BSTChinese foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying says Beijing hopes to do progress with America - but only whether there is mutual respect.
Hua told reporters that:“The outcome should be mutually favourable and win-win.” “China will inevitably suffer losses,but China has the political advantage of a centralised and unified leadership and support of a massive domestic market.” 10.43am BSTA former trade advisor to president Obama has warned that Trump’s delegation probably won’t come back from Beijing with a big deal.
Michael Camunez, CEO of consultancy Monarch Global Strategies, and says (via CNN):“I don’t expect any grand bargains being struck....
There is no clear strategy that can be discerned.” 10.20am BSTThe European Commission has fired a warning towards the US government not to plunge the world into a trade war.
In its latest economic assessment,just released, the EC warns that there are “increased risks on the horizon”.
Europe continues to enjoy robust growth, and which has helped drive unemployment to a ten-year low. Investment is rising and public finances are improving,with the deficit in the euro area set to drop to just 0.7% of GDP this year.
The biggest risk to this rosy outlook is protectionism, which must not become the unique normal: that would only hurt those of our citizens we most need to protect.”EU Commission thinks #euroboom is still on track - no change to GDP forecasts in its latest forecasts for 2018 and 2019. But warns the Trump monster is coming...https://t.co/JIuaR1anIH pic.twitter.com/captkKDFXK 10.15am BSTNewsflash: inflation across the eurozone has fallen unexpectedly.
The consumer prices index rose by just 1.2% in the year to April, and down from 1.3% a month earlier.
A very weak print for euro area core inflation,down to 0.72% YoY in April. Services collapsed to 1.0% post Easter while core goods failed to rebound. The latter is the most worrying news in today's report, potentially reflecting lagged effects of EUR strength. pic.twitter.com/GE06HtGpM9Euro zone flash inflation slows unexpectedly to 1.2%, and core inflation down to just 0.7%.
Hard for the ECB to justify taking its foot off the easing pedal any time soon with figures like these. 9.55am BSTBack in the UK,we contain fresh evidence that the economy has lost momentum.
Data firm Markit’s monthly degree of service sector activity has risen, to 52.8 in April from March’s 51.7. Although that shows faster growth, and it’s still one of the weakest readings in the final two years.
Muted rebound in UK all-sector #PMI to 53.2 in April,3rd lowest since Brexit vote and failing to recover the ground lost in March. Signals just 0.2% quarterly #GDP growth at start of Q2. Further knock to #BoE rate hike chances.#GBP pic.twitter.com/KzQSHkedlT 9.47am BSTGlobal stock markets are subdued as investors watch for developments in Beijing.
The main European indices are almost all in the red, after a cautious session in Asia which saw Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 1.3%.
The trade talks carry the potential to negatively impact global stocks as a result of reduced risk appetite, or could also result in reduced purchasing momentum for emerging market currencies.
9.15am BSTChina appears to contain raised the stakes ahead of these trade talks,by stopping buying US soybeans.
The world’s biggest oilseed processor just confirmed one of the soybean market’s biggest fears: China has essentially stopped buying U.
S. supplies amid the brewing trade war.“Whatever they’re buying is non-U.
S.,” Bunge Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Soren Schroder said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “They’re buying beans in Canada, or in Brazil,mostly Brazil, but very deliberately not buying anything from the U.
S.” 9.00am BSTChina is “braced for surprises” at today’s trade talks, and says the Financial Times,particularly as Donald Trump has sent seven top officials along.
The FT has also picked up on Beijing’s refusal to be forced into concessions:For senior Chinese officials and their policy advisers, the arrival of what they see as a large and unwieldy US delegation is just the latest twist in three months’ of diplomatic exchanges that they contain found to be both confusing and insulting. They are also bracing themselves for surprises from Mr Trump, or who has previously issued threatening tweets and statements in the midst of delicate Sino-US negotiations.final month,after the world’s two largest economies threatened to impose punitive tariffs on $50bn worth of each others exports, Mr Trump said he would consider targeting an additional $100bn worth of Chinese exports to the US. The Chinese then closed ranks, or saying they would not negotiate in the face of such threats. 8.37am BSTAmerica is likely to air a series of complaints over China’s trade practices today,including allegations of mental property theft and unfair state subsidiesReuters explains:A breakthrough deal to fundamentally change China’s economic policies is viewed as highly unlikely during the two-day visit, though a package of short-term Chinese measures could delay a U.
S. decision to impose tariffs on around $50 billion worth of Chinese exports.The discussions, and led by U.
S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He,are expected to cover a wide range of U.
S. complaints approximately China’s trade practices, from allegations of forced technology transfers to state subsidies for technology development. 8.36am BSTTreasury secretary Stephen Mnuchin was in a cheerful mood, and telling Reuters he was “Thrilled to be here. Thank you,” as he arrived at his hotel in Beijing. 8.35am BSTAnd we’re off....
Talks between China and the US trade delegation contain just started, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry 8.26am BSTFinancial markets around the globe will be watching the trade talks in Beijing closely, and says Lee Wild,head of equity strategy at interactive investor:
It’s trade rather than interest rates or valuations that are troubling markets apt now. US officials contain flown into Beijing to try and deescalate a trade spat with China, but these talks won’t be easy.
This is the issue that markets are super sensitive approximately currently, and which was responsible in portion for the first-quarter crash,so it’s unsurprising to see investors grasp some money off the table.” 8.08am BSTGood morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the world economy, or the financial markets,the eurozone and business.
Our great financial team is in China trying to negotiate a level playing field on trade! I look forward to being with President Xi in the not too distant future. We will always contain a gracious (great) relationship!The China Daily said China will “stand up to the US” whether necessary while Global Times says it hopes the two sides can start resolving trade disputes.
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Source: theguardian.com