Washington Insider

Here's a quick monitor of Washington farm and trade policy issues from DTN's well-placed observer.

The administration has been celebrating a new trade deal with Japan for some time, and Bloomberg is reporting this week that the deal will be formally announced this month, according to White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow. President Donald Trump and...

The question of what might be next in the ongoing global trade wars is increasingly the focus of urban media these days. For example, Bloomberg is reporting this week that at almost the same moment as the U.S. and China attempt to resume trade talks some...

As if there weren't enough to worry about amid concerns over the economy and ongoing trade clashes, there is a report from The Hill this week that government funding talks in the Senate are off to "a rough start." The report notes that there are only...

The media generally indicated that both the U.S. administration and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are working to lower tensions that are clouding the global economic outlook. For example, Bloomberg said that China needs more pork because it faces shortages that...

President Donald Trump recently urged not only low rates but that the Fed should "get our interest rates down to ZERO, or less," Bloomberg and others are reporting this week. "We should then start to refinance our debt. INTEREST COST COULD BE BROUGHT...

Press reports this week indicate that a great deal of media ink continues to be dedicated to the political impact of administration trade policies. And at the same time, the Washington Post is highlighting what it calls "the growing concerns" by some...

For the past several years there has been an important policy disagreement in many quarters over trade basics, whether trade deals simply ship jobs overseas, or not. Powerful groups in both parties openly disagree on trade issues, a controversy that is...

Bloomberg is calling attention to the potential vulnerability of U.S.-India trade negotiations that were suspended earlier. The report says potential outcomes include a limited trade deal, or could be undercut by the same type of aggressive approach the...

The resilient job market has been one of the Trump administration's top selling points as it prepares for the re-election campaign on the strength of the U.S. economy, but the "disappointing August report threatens that message ahead of a critical stretch...

The administration already successfully faced down a bipartisan resolution to end the emergency declaration that was issued after Congress refused to appropriate funds for a border wall in a lengthy government shutdown earlier in the year. Congress was...

While the Trump administration emphasizes the impact of growing economic pressure on China, many analysts are focusing heavily on emerging threats to global demand. Bloomberg thinks these are intensifying at the same time business confidence and investment are weakening in many key markets.

Bloomberg and other urban media are taking note of the effort the administration is making to downplay ag producers' economic problems with weak markets as the trade war with China escalates. An example is the recent USDA report that "farmers are doing...

Chinese editorials and commentaries since the administration slapped tariffs on roughly $110 billion in Chinese imports on Sunday have focused on the impact the latest tariff hikes will have on U.S. consumers. In addition, late Sunday, the State Council, or...

There is a lot of angst around the country just now regarding the prospects for the medium-term economic outlook. In that context, the Washington Post is carrying an Op-Ed by Jared Bernstein, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities...

A political factor in the U.S.-China trade war is attracting the attention of the urban press this week. For example, the New York Times gave front-page coverage to a story about farmer concerns over President Trump's trade war. Also, The Hill highlighted...

It seems that the world of trade and economic policy has gotten quite a lot more challenging in recent days, and the urban press has noticed. For example, the New York Times says that the administration has recently sent numerous conflicting signals on...

Trade issues continue to have top billing in the media this week and there is a new wrinkle, such as whether or not the president has the authority to force American companies to cut ties with China. He claims that he can do that and at least a couple of...

Bloomberg is reporting this week that the US and Japan have agreed in principle on a trade deal which will slash Japanese tariffs on U.S. beef, pork and other ag products, but will continue to impose tariffs on Japan's auto exports. President Trump...

As economic anxiety has intensified nationwide, the ag industry in North Dakota, on the far northwestern edge of the U.S. farm belt but relatively close to Pacific ports, is reflecting on its earlier economic decisions to invest millions on grain storage and...