China sought to depict a call between Xi Jinping and President Trump as an appeal from one strongman leader to another to run a tight ship and stay on course.

China sought to depict a call between Xi Jinping and President Trump as an appeal from one strongman leader to another to run a tight ship and stay on course.

© Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Americans bought fewer foreign pharmaceuticals, cellphones and cars, and cut purchases of machinery and other supplies.

© Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Just two and a half weeks after agreeing to suspend tariffs, both countries are using export controls to disrupt each other’s key industries.

The Trump administration could use the investigation to impose new tariffs on imported planes, jet engines and other aerospace parts.

The standoff over terms of negotiations, and whether they are happening, signals that a protracted economic fight lies ahead.

Dozens of countries have called for a moratorium on seabed mining, and have urged restraint until an international authority agrees on rules for the practice.