The U.S. economy expanded at a modest pace through the final six weeks of 2019 but uncertainty over U.S. trade policy continued to hurt firms, a survey conducted by the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday.
Oil prices were slightly down in seesaw trade on Wednesday, pressured early by data showing big increases in U.S. refined products but lifted later by the signing of a Phase 1 trade deal between Washington and Beijing.
The United States and China signed an initial trade deal on Wednesday that will roll back some tariffs and boost Chinese purchases of U.S. products, defusing an 18-month row between the world's two largest economies but leaving a number of sore spots unresolved.
Oil prices were down slightly on Wednesday, pressured early by data showing big increases in U.S. refined products but recovered some of the losses later by the signing of a Phase 1 trade deal between Washington and Beijing.
China's pledge to buy U.S. farm goods based on "market conditions" during the Phase 1 trade deal signing ceremony on Wednesday added to doubts among farmers and commodity traders over the lingering tariffs on U.S. exports.
Airbus sees enough demand for its wide-bodied A330neo passenger jet to keep production stable, Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer told Reuters on Wednesday.
South African telecoms company Telkom SA told unions on Wednesday it could cut up to 3,000 of more than 15,000 staff as it struggles with declining performance in fixed voice and fixed data services.
Amazon.com Inc will ask a judge to temporarily block Microsoft Corp from working on a $10 billion cloud contract from the Pentagon, a court filing showed on Monday.
China has pledged to buy nearly an additional $80 billion of manufactured goods from the United States over the next two years, plus just over $50 billion more in energy supplies, under a trade deal with China to be signed on Wednesday, a source briefed on the agreement said on Monday.
French carmaker Renault and Japanese partner Nissan Motor said their alliance was in no danger of being dissolved, denying a media report of a potential break-up that sent their shares skidding to multiyear lows.
China's iron ore imports rose 0.47% in 2019 to hover just below their all-time annual peak, fueled by strong demand at steel mills and a second-half recovery in shipments from big miners after disruptions earlier in the year.
China's unwrought copper imports rose 9.1% in December from the previous month to their highest since March 2016, customs data showed on Tuesday, as improving industrial activity and dwindling scrap metal supply lifted demand.
China's exports rose for the first time in five months in December and by more than expected, signaling a modest recovery in demand as Beijing and Washington agreed to defuse their prolonged trade war.
China's soybean imports in December surged 67% from a year earlier to a 19-month-high, customs data showed on Tuesday, as a flurry of U.S. and Brazilian cargoes booked earlier cleared customs.
China's crude oil imports in 2019 surged 9.5% from a year earlier, setting a record for a 17th straight year, as demand growth from new refineries built last year propelled purchases by the world's biggest importer, data showed on Tuesday.