Business Focus Washington from

China Warns Western Businesses about Supporting Hong Kong Protests

October 9, 2019 Focus Washington

As Beijing sanctioned the National Basketball Association this week for a pro-Hong Kong message delivered by one of its team leaders, other American companies scrambled to avoid fallout of their own, the Washington Post reported. […]

Follow

Tesla’s Cell Supplier Hires Battery Expert for Vital Gigafactory Job

October 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Tesla’s quiet acquisition of a Canadian battery manufacturer may be the first significant indicator yet that the Silicon Valley EV builder plans to develop its own future battery tech, Green Car Reports writes. Over the […]

Follow

Pompeo, Lavrov Agree on Creating American-Russian Business Council

October 7, 2019 Focus Washington

The foreign ministers of Russia and the United States, Sergey Lavrov and Mike Pompeo, have confirmed their positive stance on the creation of a bilateral business advisory council, Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S Anatoly Antonov […]

Follow

Tesla Sets Another New Delivery Record

October 3, 2019 Focus Washington

Tesla delivered “approximately 97,000” cars around the world in the third quarter of 2019, slightly edging out the previous record of 95,356 the company set in the second quarter, according to a press release issued […]

Follow

Saudi-backed Startup in Arizona Expected to Break Ground This Year

October 1, 2019 Focus Washington

Lucid Motors spent the last few years waiting to break ground on a brand-new factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, and the EV startup was finally able put things in motion late last year after it […]

Follow

Farmers Oppose Trump’s Biofuel Waivers

September 30, 2019 Focus Washington

American farmers, who have been particularly hurt by President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war with China, have protested the Trump administration’s biofuel waivers. The leaders of 23 corn grower organizations on Friday sent a letter […]

Follow

Trump Administration Considers Delisting Chinese Firms from U.S. Markets

September 28, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s administration is considering delisting Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges, three sources briefed on the matter said on Friday, in what would be a radical escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions, Reuters informed. […]

Follow

U.S., Japan Have Reached Initial Trade Agreement, Says Trump

September 26, 2019 Focus Washington

The U.S. and Japan signed a trade-enhancement agreement on Wednesday aimed at lowering agricultural tariffs in Japan and industrial tariffs in the U.S., as well as at setting new digital trade rules pertaining to the […]

Follow

U.S. Sanctions Chinese Companies for Allegedly Shipping Iranian Oil

September 26, 2019 Focus Washington

The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Wednesday on a number of Chinese firms, including a state-owned giant accused of shipping Iranian crude, thus violating U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic. The move is part of […]

Follow

U.S. to ‘Remove all Unreasonable Restrictions,’ Says Chinese Foreign Minister

September 25, 2019 Focus Washington

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that his country’s relations with the United States have hit a snag again, adding that the U.S. needs to “remove all unreasonable restrictions.” “China-U.S. relations today […]

Follow

Musk Hid Facts about SolarCity and SpaceX Involvement, Shareholders Claim

September 24, 2019 Focus Washington

Newly unsealed court documents show why a number of large Tesla investors, including some pension funds, believe its $2.6 billion acquisition of SolarCity in 2016 never should have happened, CNBC informed. The documents are an […]

Follow

Oil Prices Fall on Prospects for Saudi Output Restart, Economic Concerns

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

Oil fell on Monday, reversing an earlier gain, pressured by the prospect of a faster-than-expected full restoration of Saudi oil output and by fresh signs of European economic weakness, Reuters/CNBC informs. A source, briefed on […]

Follow

Apple Reopens Redesigned Fifth Avenue NYC Store

September 23, 2019 Focus Washington

Apple on Friday will take the wraps off its latest and biggest store redesign: its Fifth Avenue location in New York, CNET reports. The new store, which is in the same location right off of […]

Follow

Oil Prices Have Biggest Spike in a Decade after Saudi Oil Field Attack

September 17, 2019 Focus Washington

Oil prices spiked Monday after a devastating attack on the heart of Saudi Arabian oil production over the weekend shocked markets and could disrupt the global supply of crude for some time, CNN reported. U.S. […]

Follow

London Stock Exchange Rejects Offer From Hong Kong Exchange

September 14, 2019 Focus Washington

London Stock Exchange took a swipe at rival Hong Kong Exchange on Friday, rejecting its $36.6 billion bid and questioning Hong Kong’s future as a financial gateway to China, The Wall Street Journal reported. Undeterred, […]

Follow

Hong Kong Exchange Makes Unsolicited $36.6 Billion Bid for London Stock Exchange

September 11, 2019 Focus Washington

The Hong Kong Exchange made an unexpected $36.6 billion bid for London Stock Exchange, a bold move that would upend the U.K. bourse’s combination with Refinitiv, Bloomberg reported. LSE’s board “remains committed to” the acquisition […]

Follow

Deputy Energy Secretary Claims U.S. Seeks Energy Dominance

September 9, 2019 Focus Washington

Dan Brouillette, the U.S. deputy energy secretary, said Monday that the country seeks to achieve complete energy dominance no matter what happens to oil prices. Brouillette told CNBC that the American energy policy although not […]

Follow

Prior to Trade Talks China Offers to Buy Farm Products

September 8, 2019 Focus Washington

During a phone call earlier in the week, China offered to make farm purchases from the United States ahead of trade talks with U.S. officials, two sources said. They added that the Chinese peace offer […]

Follow

U.S. Job Growth Slows Down in August, Raising Stakes for Trump’s 2020 Re-Election

September 7, 2019 Focus Washington

Job growth rates saw a slight slowdown in August, with employers adding 130,000 jobs, a bit less than the average 158,000 jobs per month this year. The unemployment rate remained steady at 3.7% and the […]

Follow

Venezuela’s Oil Problems Deepen as Chinese Contractor Halts Work

September 6, 2019 Focus Washington

A Chinese oil contractor halted work on an expansion project in Venezuela because it hasn’t been paid, underscoring the difficulties for the Nicolas Maduro regime even at energy ventures backed by allies, Bloomberg reported. China […]

Follow

U.S.-China Trade War ‘in the Early Stages’ of a Second Cold War

September 6, 2019 Focus Washington

The United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, are “already in the early stages,” says Niall Ferguson, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Ferguson also said for CNBC that […]

Follow

U.S., China Agree to Resume Trade Talks in Washington

September 5, 2019 Focus Washington

The United States and China have agreed to hold a face-to-face meeting to resume trade negotiations after the latest escalation in the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies. The meeting will be […]

Follow

Trump Wanted to Double Tariffs Against China After Retaliatory Measures

September 4, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump was allegedly outraged by China’s retaliatory measures last month that he wanted to double tariffs on imports from the country, before deciding on a lower increase, said three sources with knowledge of […]

Follow

Walmart Will no Longer Sell Ammunition for Assault-Style Weapons, Draws Criticism from NRA

September 4, 2019 Focus Washington

Retail giant Walmart has decided to stop selling ammunition for assault-style rifles and handguns, a decision that follows two deadly shootings at its stores in early August. Recent mass shootings have actualized the issue of […]

Follow

Chinese, U.S. Officials Cannot Agree on Schedule for Meeting

September 3, 2019 Focus Washington

As new tariffs took effect Sunday after Washington refused to postpone them, the United States and China found themselves struggling to set a concrete date for a meeting to resume trade talks later this month, […]

Follow

Musk Wins Tax Break for Tesla on China Visit

September 2, 2019 Focus Washington

Elon Musk is returning from China with a tax break for his electric car company. Chinese authorities announced on Friday that Tesla (TSLA) has won an exemption from a 10% purchase tax, which will reduce […]

Follow

Washington Goes Ahead With New Tariffs on Chinese Goods

September 2, 2019 Focus Washington

Tariffs on clothing and other imports from China went into effect on Sunday, escalating the trade war in a move expected to squarely hit consumers, The Wall Street Journal reported. The U.S. tariffs of 15% […]

Follow

Beijing, Washington Kick off New Round of Tariffs in Trade War

September 1, 2019 Focus Washington

China and the United States began imposing additional tariffs on each other’s goods on Sunday, the latest escalation in a bruising trade war, but President Donald Trump said the sides would still meet for talks […]

Follow

Trump Administration Wants to Reach 5G Agreement With Poland

August 31, 2019 Focus Washington

The Trump administration is working with Polish officials to take steps toward protecting the security of that country’s telecommunications systems, The Wall Street Journal reported. The administration is hopeful that Vice President Mike Pence will […]

Follow

Trump Wants General Motors to Move Back Production to U.S.

August 31, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump, who is engaged in a trade war with Beijing, said on Friday that the largest U.S. automaker, General Motors, should begin moving its operations back to the United States, Reuters informs. “General […]

Follow