Trade | featured news

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday it was important to address currency rates with trading partners such as China to ensure U.S. goods were not facing a disadvantage.

The World Trade Organization's top arbitrators upheld a ruling that China is illegally restricting imports of U.S. music, films and books, and Washington pushed forward with a new case accusing China of manipulating the prices for key ingredients in steel and aluminum production.

China and Russia signed contracts worth several billion dollars, but didn't reach a breakthrough in negotiations to supply Russian gas to China.

The Obama administration lodged a formal protest with the Chinese government over its plan to force all computers sold in China to come with software that blocks access to certain Web sites.

China defended its curbs on exports of industrial raw materials against unfair-trade complaints by the United States and Europe and announced Wednesday it has filed its own challenge to a U.S. ban on imports of Chinese poultry.

The U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously approved expanded sanctions and a trade and arms embargo against North Korea over its May 25 nuclear test.

Taiwan and China signed agreements on financial cooperation, expanding air links across the Taiwan Strait and jointly fighting crime, in a move to improve further trade and economic relations.