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US President Donald Trump ordered a probe Tuesday that may result in tariffs on critical minerals, rare-earth metals and associated products such as smartphones, in an escalation of his dispute with global trade partners.Trump has upended markets in recent weeks with his sweeping on-off levies, and this investigation could see him impose further tariffs if it shows that imports of critical minerals and their derivatives endanger US national security.China dominates global supply chains for rare metals.Without naming any other countries, the order says that the United States is dependent on foreign sources that “are at risk of serious, sustained, and long-term supply chain shocks.”It states that this dependence “raises the potential for risks to national security, defense readiness, price stability, and economic prosperity and resilience.”The imports targeted include so-called critical minerals like cobalt, lithium and nickel, rare-earth elements, as well as products that partly require these resources, such as electric vehicles and batteries.The order states that critical minerals and their derivatives are essential for US military and energy infrastructure, noting their use in jet engines, missile guidance systems and advanced computing, among others.The Department of Commerce will have up to 180 days to deliver its report to Trump, the order says, adding that any recommendations for action should consider the imposition of tariffs.It follows a similar “national security” investigation that Trump ordered Monday into pharmaceutical imports, and another on semiconductors and chip-making equipment.The process is based on a 1962 law that was seldom used before Trump, during his first 2017-2021 term, called on it to justify imposing taxes on steel and aluminum imports. The US president again resorted to this law, known as Section 232, to reintroduce in mid-March tariffs of 25 percent on steel and aluminum, and on automobiles. Trump has slapped new tariffs on friend and foe since returning to the presidency this year in a wide-ranging but often chaotic attempt to reorder the world economy by using levies to force manufacturers to relocate to the United States. 

US aviation giant Boeing, fresh off a crippling labor dispute and quality control crisis, has now found itself drawn into the escalating trade conflict between Washington and Beijing.The largest US exporter, Boeing has been caught in the crossfire after President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs of up to 145 percent on many Chinese products, sparking retaliatory 125 percent levies from Beijing.The duties more than double the cost of aircraft and spare parts manufactured in the United States.On Tuesday, Trump accused China of reneging on a “big Boeing deal,” following a Bloomberg news report that Beijing ordered airlines not to take further deliveries of the company’s jets.The report also said that Beijing requested Chinese carriers to pause purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US firms.Boeing has declined to comment on the matter.Last week, Bloomberg reported that China’s Juneyao Airlines was delaying delivery of a Boeing widebody aircraft as the growing trade conflict drives up costs of big-ticket products.- ‘Not surprised’-Boeing’s website shows its order book at the end of March contained 130 aircraft due to Chinese customers, including airlines and leasing companies.But as some buyers prefer to remain anonymous, the true figure could be higher.Bank of America (BofA) analysts note that Boeing is scheduled to deliver 29 aircraft this year to identified Chinese companies, but added that a large portion of unidentified customers who bought aircraft are actually Chinese.”China represents about 20 percent of the market for large civil jets over the next 20 years,” BofA Securities said in a note.It added that the US administration cannot ignore Boeing when it considers trade balances.”Boeing is the US’s largest exporter, as such, we are not surprised by China’s move; however, we do see this as unsustainable,” BofA Securities said.Boeing’s main competitor Airbus cannot be China’s only supplier of large commercial jets given its capacity constraints, it said.The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) is also “highly dependent on US suppliers,” the analysts said.If China stopped buying aircraft components from the United States, COMAC’s C919 program — a competitor to Boeing’s 737 or Airbus’s A320 — would be halted, they said.A delivery blockage would affect the United States’ trade balance further as well.Boeing’s production slowed significantly after quality issues that emerged with an in-flight incident in January 2024, and two factories were subsequently paralysed by a strike in the fall.According to US official data, commercial aircraft exports reached $4.2 billion in August last year but dropped to $2.6 billion in September. They slipped further in October and November.In December, when Boeing deliveries gradually resumed, the amount rose to $3.1 billion.- Airline customers -Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg previously stressed that the company supports 1.8 million jobs in the United States.A delivery freeze would have direct consequences for the group, which traditionally receives 60 percent of the price upon delivery.With its difficulties of 2024, Boeing is already dipping heavily into cash flow that has been depleted by the Covid-19 pandemic and other issues.Besides concerns surrounding Beijing, Boeing will likely be squeezed by higher duties too.Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers, said on Tuesday his company might postpone delivery of 25 Boeing jets expected from August if they cost more customs duties.Ryanair, a major Boeing customer, notably placed an order in May 2023 for 300 737 MAX 10s, including 150 firm orders, for a list price estimated at over $40 billion.Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, said last week that he does not intend to pay customs duties on the Airbus aircraft he expects this year.

Nvidia on Tuesday notified regulators that it expects a $5.5 billion hit this quarter due to a new US licensing requirement on the primary chip it can legally sell in China.US officials last week told Nvidia it must obtain licenses to export its H20 chips to China because of concerns they may be used in supercomputers there, the Silicon Valley company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.Shares of Nvidia, which have seen high volatility since US President Donald Trump made a major tariffs announcement on April 2, were down more than six percent in after-market trades.The new licensing rule applies to Nvidia GPUs (graphics processing units) with bandwidth similar to that of the H20.The United States had already restricted exports to China of Nvidia’s most sophisticated GPUs, tailored for powering top-end artificial intelligence models.Nvidia was told the licensing requirement on H20 chips would last indefinitely, it said in the filing.Nvidia’s current fiscal quarter ends on April 27.”First quarter results are expected to include up to approximately $5.5 billion of charges associated with H20 products for inventory, purchase commitments, and related reserves,” Nvidia said in the filing.Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said publicly that the AI chip powerhouse will balance legal compliance and technological advances under Trump, and that nothing will stop the global advancement of artificial intelligence.”We’ll continue to do that and we’ll be able to do that just fine,” the Taiwan-born entrepreneur told reporters late last year.Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden restricted Nvidia from selling some of its top AI chips to China, which the United States sees as a strategic competitor in technology.Global markets have been on a roller coaster since Trump’s April 2 announcement, declining sharply before partially recovering with his 90-day pause on the steepest tariff rates last week.Trump warned Sunday that no country would be getting “off the hook” on tariffs despite a 90-day reprieve on some levies, while also downplaying exemptions for Chinese technology.Most nations will now face a baseline 10 percent tariff for the near-three-month period — except China, which launched a tit-for-tat escalation.China has sought to present itself as a stable alternative to an erratic Washington, courting countries spooked by the global economic storm.

Global stocks were mixed Tuesday as investors digested strong bank earnings and monitored ongoing developments in the US-China trade war amid lingering unease over last week’s market gyrations.Some stability has returned to markets after last week’s roller-coaster ride over Trump’s stop-start tariff announcements, but uncertainty remains over speculation of new levies on high-end technology and pharmaceuticals.”While financial markets have steadied, with many looking as if they are consolidating at current levels, this feels as if it is the calm before the storm,” said David Morrison, senior analyst at financial services firm Trade Nation.”Markets remain skittish, and investors feel safer sitting on their hands for now, hoping that last week’s worrying dislocations revert back to normal,” he said.Wall Street stocks finished lower after two positive sessions.A White House spokeswoman described the ball as being “in China’s court” in the trade war between Washington and Beijing.”Will we have relief or progress with the trade tariff situation or is the situation going to get worse?” said Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments. “We don’t know. That question mark is leading investors to hold off from taking any big positions.”Shares in Bank of America and Citigroup climbed after the financial giants posted solid earnings reports.Boeing slumped as Trump said China “reneged” on a major deal with the US aviation giant, after Bloomberg reported that Beijing ordered airlines not to take further deliveries from the company amid an escalating trade war. Shares in European rival Airbus rose.European indices closed higher, with London and Frankfurt gaining 1.4 percent each.Paris made more modest gains, weighed down by shares in Louis Vuitton owner LVMH falling almost eight percent over weak sales. The group was overtaken by rival Hermes as France’s most valuable company by market capitalization.Shares in European and Asian automakers rallied following Trump’s comments on Monday that he was “very flexible” and “looking at something to help some of the car companies” hit by his 25 percent tariff on all imports.”This serves to double down on the weekend narrative that Trump will reverse some of his tariffs once company execs approach him to highlight the huge negative implications of his action,” said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.  In Asia, Toyota jumped 3.7 percent and Hyundai more than four percent.But in the United States, General Motors and Ford slumped.- Key figures around 2050 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 40,368.96 (close)New York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.2 percent at 5,396.63 (close)New York – Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 16,823.17 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 1.4 percent at 8,249.12 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.9 percent at 7,335.40 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 1.4 percent at 21,253.70(close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.8 percent at 34,267.54 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.2 percent at 21,466.27 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,267.66 (close)Dollar/yen: UP at 143.18 yen from 143.09 yen on MondayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1291 from $1.1351Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3232 from $1.3190Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.30 pence from 86.05 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $61.33 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $64.67 per barrel

Stock markets rose Tuesday as investors digested strong bank earnings and shares in several auto giants surged over hopes of tariffs relief from US President Donald Trump.Some stability has returned to markets after last week’s roller-coaster ride over Trump’s stop-start tariff announcements, but uncertainty remains over speculation of new levies on high-end technology and pharmaceuticals.”While financial markets have steadied, with many looking as if they are consolidating at current levels, this feels as if it is the calm before the storm,” said David Morrison, senior analyst at financial services firm Trade Nation.”Markets remain skittish, and investors feel safer sitting on their hands for now, hoping that last week’s worrying dislocations revert back to normal,” he said.Wall Street’s main indexes were in the green in late morning deals as investors also kept an eye on corporate earnings.Shares in Bank of America and Citigroup climbed after the financial giants posted solid earnings reports.Boeing slumped as Trump said China “reneged” on a major deal with the US aviation giant, after Bloomberg reported that Beijing ordered airlines not to take further deliveries from the company amid an escalating trade war. Shares in European rival Airbus rose.European indices closed higher, with London and Frankfurt gaining 1.4 percent each.Paris made more modest gains, weighed down by shares in Louis Vuitton owner LVMH falling almost eight percent over weak sales. The group was overtaken by rival Hermes as France’s most valuable company by market capitalisation.Shares in European and Asian automakers rallied following Trump’s comments on Monday that he was “very flexible” and “looking at something to help some of the car companies” hit by his 25 percent tariff on all imports.”This serves to double down on the weekend narrative that Trump will reverse some of his tariffs once company execs approach him to highlight the huge negative implications of his action,” said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets. US-European automaker Stellantis, whose brands include Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot, gained over six percent in Paris, while German brands Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz advanced more than two percent. “We are encouraged by what President Trump indicated yesterday about tariffs for the car industry,” Stellantis president John Elkann said at the group’s annual shareholders meeting.In Asia, Toyota jumped 3.7 percent and Hyundai more than four percent.But in the United States, General Motors and Ford slumped.Markets made a positive start to the week, rising Monday after the announcement of tariff exemptions for consumer electronic products, though Trump’s suggestion that the reprieve would be temporary tempered the optimism.”Sentiment got a further boost thanks to positive noises about trade negotiations, which added to the sense that the administration is focused on making deals that could see the tariffs come down,” said Jim Reid, an analyst at Deutsche Bank.- Key figures around 1755 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 40,611.27 pointsNew York – S&P 500: UP 0.3 percent at 5,424.58New York – Nasdaq: UP 0.3 percent at 16,886.27London – FTSE 100: UP 1.4 percent at 8,249.12 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.8 percent at 7,335.40 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 1.4 percent at 21,253.70(close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.8 percent at 34,267.54 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.2 percent at 21,466.27 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,267.66 (close)Dollar/yen: UP at 143.13 yen from 143.09 yen on MondayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1283 from $1.1356 Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3219 from $1.3189Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.37 pence from 86.08 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.9 percent at $60.99 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.9 percent at $64.31 per barrel

Stock markets rose Tuesday, with shares in several automakers gaining after US President Donald Trump hinted that the sector could get some tariff reprieve.Some stability has returned to markets after last week’s rollercoaster ride over Trump’s stop-start tariff announcements, but uncertainty remains over speculation of new levies on high-end technology and pharmaceuticals.”While financial markets have steadied, with many looking as if they are consolidating at current levels, this feels as if it is the calm before the storm,” said David Morrison, senior analyst at financial services firm Trade Nation.”Markets remain skittish, and investors feel safer sitting on their hands for now, hoping that last week’s worrying dislocations revert back to normal,” he said.Wall Street opened slightly higher while the dollar, which has been battered in recent days, pared back some losses against the euro.European indices performed better than US peers in afternoon deals.Paris made more modest gains, weighed by shares in luxury conglomerate LVMH falling more than eight percent after it reported a decline in sales. Shares in European and Asian automakers rallied following Trump’s comments on Monday that he was “very flexible” and “looking at something to help some of the car companies” hit by his 25 percent tariff on all imports.”This serves to double down on the weekend narrative that Trump will reverse some of his tariffs once company execs approach him to highlight the huge negative implications of his action,” said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets. “It therefore comes as no surprise to see the likes of Aston Martin Lagonda, BMW and Volkswagen heading up the gainers,” he added.US-European automaker Stellantis, whose brands include Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot, gained over six percent in Paris, while German brands Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz advanced more than two percent. “We are encouraged by what President Trump indicated yesterday about tariffs for the car industry,” Stellantis president John Elkann said at the group’s annual shareholders meeting.In Asia, Toyota jumped 3.7 percent and Hyundai more than four percent.But in the United States, General Motors and Ford slumped.Markets made a positive start to the week, rising Monday after the announcement of tariff exemptions for consumer electronic products, though Trump’s suggestion that the reprieve would be temporary tempered the optimism.”Sentiment got a further boost thanks to positive noises about trade negotiations, which added to the sense that the administration is focused on making deals that could see the tariffs come down,” said Jim Reid, analyst at Deutsche Bank.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that a China-US deal could be done, in an apparent olive branch as the two economic powerhouses trade tariff threats.Trump has hammered China with duties of up to 145 percent, while Beijing has imposed retaliatory measures of 125 percent.Other countries are negotiating with Washington.Trump aide Kevin Hassett said the White House had received “more than 10 deals where there’s very, very good, amazing offers made to us”, but did not specify from which countries they came.Asian markets pushed higher, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Shanghai all rallying.South Korea’s announcement of plans to invest an additional $4.9 billion in the country’s semiconductor sector gave a little lift to chip giants Samsung and SK hynix.- Key figures around 1335 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 40,575.75 pointsNew York – S&P 500: UP 0.2 percent at 5,417.84New York – Nasdaq: UP 0.2 percent at 16,863.42London – FTSE 100: UP 1.0 percent at 8,219.12Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.4 percent at 7,301.89Frankfurt – DAX: UP 1.2 percent at 21,202.45 Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.8 percent at 34,267.54 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.2 percent at 21,466.27 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,267.66 (close)Dollar/yen: DOWN at 142.92 yen from 143.09 yen on MondayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1316 from $1.1356 Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3226 from $1.3189Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.57 pence from 86.08 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.1 percent at $61.48 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.1 percent at $64.82 per barrel

Stock markets rose Tuesday as auto firms were boosted by US President Donald Trump’s suggestion of flexibility over steep tariffs on the sector. Some stability has returned to markets after last week’s rollercoaster ride over Trump’s stop-start tariff announcements, but uncertainty remains over speculation of new levies on high-end technology and pharmaceuticals.European indices were higher, tracking gains in Asia, with London up 0.8 percent and Frankfurt climbing around one percent around midday.Paris made more modest gains, weighed by shares in luxury conglomerate LVMH falling more than seven percent after it reported a decline in sales. The auto sector rallied following Trump’s comments on Monday that he was “very flexible” and “looking at something to help some of the car companies” hit by his 25 percent tariff on all imports.”This serves to double down on the weekend narrative that Trump will reverse some of his tariffs once company execs approach him to highlight the huge negative implications of his action,” said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets. “It therefore comes as no surprise to see the likes of Aston Martin Lagonda, BMW, and Volkswagen heading up the gainers,” he added.Automaker Stellantis, whose brands include Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot, gained over four percent in Paris, while German brands Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz advanced more than two percent. In Asia, Toyota jumped 3.7 percent and Hyundai more than four percent.Markets made a positive start to the week, rising the previous day after the announcement of tariff exemptions for consumer electronic products, though Trump’s suggestion that the reprieve would be temporary tempered the optimism.”Sentiment got a further boost thanks to positive noises about trade negotiations, which added to the sense that the administration is focused on making deals that could see the tariffs come down,” said Jim Reid, analyst at Deutsche Bank.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that a China-US deal could be done, in an apparent olive branch as the two economic powerhouses trade tariff threats.Trump has hammered China with duties of up to 145 percent, while Beijing has imposed retaliatory measures of 125 percent.Other countries are negotiating with Washington.Trump aide Kevin Hassett said the White House had received “more than 10 deals where there’s very, very good, amazing offers made to us”, but did not specify from which countries they came.After a broadly positive day on Wall Street, Asian markets pushed higher, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Shanghai all rallying.And South Korea’s announcement of plans to invest an additional $4.9 billion in the country’s semiconductor sector gave a little lift to chip giants Samsung and SK hynix.Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller provided some support to markets after suggesting he would back the central bank to cut interest rates to help the economy, instead of focusing on higher inflation.- Key figures around 1100 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.8 percent at 8,199.98 pointsParis – CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,292.32Frankfurt – DAX: UP 1.0 percent at 21,163.50 Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.8 percent at 34,267.54 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.2 percent at 21,466.27 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,267.66 (close)New York – Dow: UP 0.8 percent at 40,524.79 (close)Dollar/yen: DOWN at 142.89 yen from 143.09 yen on MondayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1344 from $1.1356 Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3244 from $1.3189Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.64 pence from 86.08 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $61.36 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $64.69 per barrel

The blistering tariff war launched by Donald Trump this month cast a shadow Tuesday as businesses met to strike deals at a trade show in southern China, for decades a key hub for exports to the United States.Beijing and Washington have been locked in a fast-moving, high-stakes game of brinkmanship since the US president began his global tariff assault that has particularly targeted Chinese imports.US duties on China are now at an eye-watering 145 percent, while Beijing has retaliated with a 125 percent toll of its own on US imports.And the pain is already being felt in China’s manufacturing heartland, long dependent on Americans’ appetite for cheap goods.For Hou Keyao, a 29-year-old sales representative at a lights manufacturer based in the southern city of Zhongshan, it all happened “too fast”.Hou’s employer, Wosen Lighting Technology, exports more than 95 percent of its products to a range of markets — and is a supplier of US e-commerce giant Amazon.”We didn’t have time to make adjustments,” he said, but the impact is expected to be “very big”.”I hope that everyone can sit down and talk properly,” said Hou. “It would be best to try to keep the tariffs at the same level as before.”He was among thousands of people flooding into a vast convention complex on Tuesday for the opening day of the Canton Fair, a trade show held in the southern city of Guangzhou twice a year.This year’s first edition of the fair features around 31,000 companies and 74,000 booths — nearly all geared towards the export market — according to state-run TV network CGTN.Despite the turmoil, the fair bustled with visitors from around the world — many accompanied by Chinese translators to facilitate building contacts and striking deals.- ‘Survival of the fittest’ -Trump’s sweeping tariff hikes this month triggered major volatility in stock markets and have raised fears of a global recession.Many of them were last week paused by Trump for 90 days to allow for negotiations, though levies on China were hiked further.Jean Zhu, 49, said she worked for the export department of Rightlite, a lighting company based in the eastern province of Jiangsu.She told AFP at the firm’s booth that the trade war will still hurt — even though it does a limited amount of business with the United States.”There must be an indirect impact, because the global economy is inseparable,” she said.Fluctuating currency values caused by the latest tariffs could result in reduced demand from European customers — among her company’s main drivers of sales, Zhu said.”This tariff adjustment is also a process of reshuffle in our industry,” she said.It’s “the survival of the fittest”, Zhu explained.”We hope that we can withstand this test and welcome the arrival of the next foreign trade peak.”Yang Hongjie, a salesperson for electronics firm Hongyi Group China, told AFP that while his company wasn’t dependent on American customers, changes to global copper prices caused by the tariffs could affect their sourcing of materials.Yang said 90 percent of Hongyi’s business is in Europe, and it also has clients across Central Asia — including many countries that play a key part in Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure drive.”After Trump’s tariff trade war, our relationship with the Belt and Road countries may be closer,” he explained.

Five underwater drones found by Philippine fishermen were capable of gathering information that could aid in “underwater warfare”, the country’s military said Tuesday, noting at least one had relayed a signal to China.The revelation follows months of confrontations between the Philippines and China in the disputed South China Sea and comes as Manila prepares for large-scale military exercises with treaty ally the United States this month.The drones were discovered between 2022 and 2024 in locations “important strategically in the defence and the security not only of the country but for international maritime navigation”, Philippine military officials told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.Their data collection served purposes “beyond navigation”, according to Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, who said the information could be used for “underwater warfare”, detecting threats and testing weaponry below the surface.While declining to definitively identify the drones’ origin, Trinidad noted that several bore Chinese markings, while at least one had relayed a signal to China.”Based on the technical study of the forensics of the SIM card (found on one of the five drones), the last contact of the card was in mainland China,” said Trinidad, who serves as the navy’s spokesman for South China Sea issues.Three of the drones were found off the north coast of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, including two near the Balintang Channel south of Taiwan, he added.Two others were retrieved from what were identified as “critical chokepoints”, one near Masbate Island in the central Philippines and another near the southern island of Mindanao.The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The Philippines separately on Tuesday said this year’s Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder”, exercises with their US counterparts would include a test of “integrated air missile defence” for the first time.The joint exercises, which will involve approximately 10,000 soldiers, will take place from April 21 to May 9.  “We are treating exercises as rehearsals. We are implementing a plan that has been planned out in the previous Balikatan and that is what we are going to execute at this time,” said Brigadier General Mike Logico.Philippine defence chief Romeo Brawner this month told troops in northern Luzon that the island would host the bulk of the Balikatan exercises because of its strategic importance.”These are the areas where we perceive the possibility of an attack. I do not want to sound alarmist, but we have to prepare,” he said.

China has told its airlines to stop taking deliveries of jets from American aviation giant Boeing, a report said Tuesday, as a trade war between Beijing and the United States deepens.Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the world’s two biggest economies have been locked in a tit-for-tat tariff war, with the US now charging levies of up to 145 percent on imports from China.Beijing has reacted furiously to what it calls unlawful “bullying” by Washington and has imposed retaliatory duties of 125 percent on US imports, dismissing further hikes as pointless.Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that China had also ordered airlines to halt deliveries of Boeing planes, citing people familiar with the matter.Beijing has also told its carriers to suspend purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US companies, the financial news outlet reported the people as saying.AFP has contacted Boeing and China’s foreign ministry for comment.Beijing’s reciprocal tariffs on US imports would likely have triggered significant rises in the cost of bringing in aircraft and components.Bloomberg said the Chinese government is mulling helping carriers that lease Boeing jets and face higher costs.Trump’s fusillade of tariffs has roiled world markets and upended diplomacy with allies and adversaries alike.The mercurial US leader announced an abrupt freeze on further hikes last week but gave Beijing no immediate reprieve.US officials on Friday announced exemptions from the latest duties against China and others for a range of high-end tech goods such as smartphones, semiconductors and computers.