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Republican lawmakers eager to halt a new round of tariffs on Mexican goods next week have spent days urging the Trump administration to negotiate a solution with Mexico’s government.

The U.S. and China exchanged barbs over which nation wrecked trade negotiations, deepening divisions that have laid bare a breakdown in trust between the world’s two largest economies.

The U.S. merchandise-trade deficit widened for a second month to the highest level since a record in December as exports dipped.

WASHINGTON — A federal infrastructure funding package is within reach, but lawmakers need to act soon, according to Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.).

Economists expect the trade war between the world’s two largest economies to get worse before it gets better — culminating in a deal by year-end.

The U.S. average retail price of diesel fell 1.1 cents to $3.160 a gallon. Oil prices slipped to $61 a barrel as the United States and China imposed higher tariffs on the other’s goods, which chilled the outlook for demand.

China announced plans to raise duties on some American imports starting June 1, defying a call from President Donald Trump to resist escalating a trade war that is sending stock futures tumbling and clouding the outlook for the global economy.

President Donald Trump said that the U.S. will boost its purchases of domestic farm products for humanitarian aid in an effort to offset lost demand from China as trade tensions flare between the nations.

The U.S. trade deficit with China decreased to the narrowest in almost three years as imports slowed and exports advanced, offering President Donald Trump a chance to claim his tariff war is yielding the desired results just as negotiations reach a critical stage.

The president of United Auto Workers Local 1112 in Lordstown — whom Trump attacked on Twitter two months ago — is among a handful of workers whose job is to do maintenance at the inactive compact car factory that made its last Chevrolet Cruze in March. He was left in the dark about GM’s talks to sell the factory.