Trending
Canada struck back at the United States with retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion worth of American goods. The duties announced Tuesday included steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment, as the trade war between the once -friendly neighbors escalated sharply.
The confrontation threatened one of the world's largest trading relationships and further strained ties between the United States and a country long considered one of its closest allies. A prolonged dispute could raise costs for American businesses and consumers less than 2½ months before the midterm elections. The new tariffs extended well beyond industrial goods, hitting everyday purchases such as seafood, cheese, clothing, cosmetics and toilet paper.
Canada targets steel, fish and hundreds of goods
Canada has pledged to roll out "dollar for dollar" counter-tariffs on scores of U.S. goods next month, in response to President Donald Trump's latest import taxes that have plunged the North American neighbors deeper into a bitter trade war.
Ottawa released a lengthy list of more than 700 targets on Tuesday. After the clock strikes midnight on Sept. 8, Canada's government says it will slap steeper import taxes on anything from fish and cheese to smartphones and steel sourced from the United States. The levies will vary from 15%, 25% and 50% -- which its government said will match U.S. rates for not only goods Washington targeted in its latest round of tariffs, but also previously-imposed sectoral duties.
Trump's squeeze on Iran has a big challenge
The Trump administration's new "economic onslaught" on Iran's financial connections around the world faces a challenge when it comes to China.
Beijing is Iran's biggest trading partner. While the U.S. is trying to isolate the Islamic Republic, President Donald Trump also is preparing to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month to maintain a fragile trade truce. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's announcement this week lacked specifics about targeting China. That has raised doubts about how effective the new campaign will be when the Trump administration must balance putting maximum pressure on Iran and avoiding higher tensions with China that could be costly to the U.S. economy.
US consumer confidence falls to lowest in 7 months
Americans' confidence in the economy declined this month as the ongoing Iran conflict has kept gas prices elevated at more than $4 a gallon.
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index dipped to 89.4 in August from 90.2 in July. That's the lowest level in seven months but essentially in the same lukewarm range its been in since the beginning of the year. In late 2024 and early 2025 the readings were consistently above 100. Respondents' views of their present situation improved, but their outlook for the near-term future soured.
Data protection regulator fines TikTok's owner
Brazil's data protection regulator has fined TikTok parent company ByteDance more than 153 million reais or nearly $30 million because of alleged failures in the handling of personal data of children and teenagers.
The move on Tuesday is the South American nation's latest move against social media companies. The regulatory body said in its ruling that TikTok breached data privacy laws across both logged-in accounts and guest browsing sessions through the collection and processing of young users' personal information without a valid legal basis or adequate safeguards.
A Chinese humanoid robot sets a new 100-meter sprint record at Beijing Games
BEIJING (AP) -- A Chinese humanoid robot has set a new 100-meter sprint record of 8.86 seconds in Beijing. This achievement took place Tuesday during China's World Humanoid Robot Games, an Olympic-style competition now in its second year. The previous robot record of 9.39 seconds had been set just three days earlier. For comparison, Usain Bolt holds the human world record at 9.58 seconds. The Games feature over 2,000 robots in 51 events like running, table tennis and soccer. The record-breaking robot fell after crossing the finish line, crashing into a padded barrier with sparks flying.
Target faces renewed backlash after stocking Halloween costume with 'minstrel show features'
Target has pulled a children's Halloween costume after backlash over its resemblance to racist minstrel caricatures. Critics say the costume, modeled by a Black child, evokes harmful stereotypes. Target apologized and removed the costume from sale, acknowledging the offense caused. This incident comes as Target's sales are rebounding after previous controversies and a rollback of diversity efforts. Activists have called for a boycott, urging Target to reinstate its diversity programs. Despite recent recovery, the boycott continues, with organizers criticizing Target's handling of diversity and inclusion issues.
Trump moves toward levying new tariff on China for flooding market with cheap goods, AP sources say
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump is moving toward imposing a new tariff on China to penalize Beijing for flooding the global market with underpriced goods. Two people familiar with the matter say he's considering a 7.5% tariff. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be finalized deliberations. Administration officials believe the tariff won't disrupt the trade truce with China or a planned visit to Washington by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The U.S. Trade Representative's office has been overseeing investigations into China's excess industrial capacity. The White House and Chinese embassy haven't commented. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department warned of new sanctions on countries trading with Iran.