Tariffs

China is considered the motherland of aquarium goldfish, bred over centuries into rare forms. Now tariffs have some U.S. sellers of these goldfish in a tailspin.

China's economic growth has been slowing down for years. Tariffs have contributed to slower growth since early 2018, when the economic standoff began, but it's hard to pinpoint how much.

U.S. employers added 136,000 jobs in September — a sign of continued resilience in the labor market amid growing signals that the economy is losing steam. The jobless rate was the lowest since 1969.

With more imports from China facing tariffs, some companies are trying to avoid the taxes by falsely labeling Chinese products as made elsewhere. One case traces to a dusty factory in the Philippines.

Since August 2018, NPR has been tracking about 80 items sold at a Georgia Walmart with an eye toward products caught in the trade war. On average, prices rose 3%. Tariffs are one of many factors.

As the trade war drags on, more manufacturers are looking to relocate from China to avoid Trump's tariffs. A firm that sells Isaac Mizrahi's clothing line has already shifted much of its production.

President Trump recently tweeted that American companies would be better off without China. But many American companies earn a significant portion of their profits there.

Various government factions want to take different tacks toward the trade war. Some argue for cutting a deal quickly to save the economy, while others call for a war of attrition with President Trump.

President Trump's move came after Beijing announced tariffs on $75 billion worth of autos and other U.S. goods. In a tweet, he also "ordered" U.S. companies to stop doing business with China.

The deficit is expected to swell to $960 billion this year and average $1.2 trillion in each of the next 10 years, according to congressional budget forecasters. They also expect the economy to slow.

The U.S. agreed to lift tariffs on imported tomatoes from Mexico. But importers warn that stepped-up inspections could still create bottlenecks, limiting supplies and raising produce prices.

The Trump administration tweaked its list of Chinese imports subject to a 10% tariff this fall. We found some surprises buried in the thousands of tariff line items.