Factories and Manufacturing

• Trump Credits ‘Mister Tariff’ for the Country’s Strength. Economists Beg to Differ. - Many indicators appear to suggest that the United States is growing despite tariffs, not because of them.
• China’s Trade Surplus Surged 20 Percent to New Highs - A currency kept weak to help Chinese factories, combined with faltering consumer spending, propelled exports, while a campaign for self-sufficiency limited imports.
• Trump Administration Nears Trade Deal With Taiwan - The deal would cut tariffs and include a commitment from Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, the island’s chip giant, to build more manufacturing plants in the United States.
• Volkswagen Suffers More Than Rivals From Auto Industry Woes - The German automaker’s sales in the United States plunged last year, hit by tariffs and the end of tax credits for electric vehicles.
• The Pentagon and A.I. Giants Have a Weakness. Both Need China’s Batteries, Badly. - As warfare is reinvented in Ukraine, and Silicon Valley races to maintain its A.I. lead, China’s battery dominance is raising alarms far beyond the auto industry.
• Volkswagen to End Production at German Plant, a First in Company History - The auto giant stopped making cars at the plant in Dresden, which opened in 2001, as it faces weaker demand and steep U.S. tariffs.
• Ford Will Take $19.5 Billion Hit as It Rolls Back E.V. Plans - Ford Motor said the costs came from its decision to make fewer electric vehicles than it had planned and more hybrids that use both gasoline engines and batteries.
• Trump’s Tariffs Shrank the U.S. Trade Deficit in September - U.S. imports and exports ticked up from lows the previous month when the president’s global tariffs went into effect, while the trade deficit continued to fall.
• Mexico Approves 50% Tariffs on Many Chinese Imports - The tariffs will apply to goods from China and other nations. Washington has been pressuring Mexico to move away from dealing with China.
• Trump Insists Tariffs Will Buoy the Economy and Ease Cost Concerns - The president rolled out a $12 billion bailout for farmers as he makes the case that his policy is working — or will soon.