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If the United States decides to deploy a slate of sanctions that it is said to have drafted against the Latin American nation, American refiners would be forced to cease purchases. That may mean more supply becomes available for the OPEC producer’s other big customers: China and India.

According to people close to the discussions, the two sides have so far made little progress on the issue that any deal Trump strikes with China may ultimately be judged on: ending what the U.S. has dubbed as decades of state-coordinated Chinese theft of American intellectual property.

The Trump administration wrapped up the latest round of trade talks in Beijing, noting a commitment by China to buy more U.S. agricultural goods, energy and manufactured items.

President Donald Trump expressed optimism that U.S.-China trade talks in Beijing are progressing well, as Chinese authorities planned to give a statement after the latest round of negotiations.

After four years of planning, Tesla Inc. finally broke ground on its planned $5 billion factory in the world’s biggest auto market, China. But the timing couldn’t be more inauspicious.

China is back in the market for U.S. soybeans after taking a holiday break as Washington and Beijing plan more trade discussions.

BEIJING — China’s government said Dec. 27 it has made plans with Washington for talks in January aimed at ending a tariff battle that threatens to depress global trade.

China, the world’s largest consumer of soybeans, bought American-grown oilseed for a second week after largely shunning U.S. supplies earlier this year in a trade war between the countries.

The Trump administration is making official its decision to delay until March 1 a tariff hike on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25% from 10%, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Chinese officials are preparing to restart purchases of American corn as soon as January, another sign that the Asian nation is working on a lasting detente with the U.S.