international trade

President Trump plans to hold trade talks with his Chinese counterpart. The administration's rhetoric is not the kind of dry, technocratic language one usually associates with trade negotiations.

The number of jobs added was well below the three-month average. Manufacturing, a key sector that is affected by trade tensions, showed weak growth. But the unemployment rate held steady, at 3.6%.

Under pressure from Florida lawmakers, the Trump administration is taking steps to protect domestic tomato growers from Mexican competition.

Prices on appliances are slowly ticking down after posting their biggest increase in about five years. One tariff was a boon to U.S. manufacturers. But other tariffs hiked costs for the industry.

President Trump has threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico in response to a large number of illegal crossings. A closure would very likely hit a wide range of industries.

China's government plays a large, powerful role in how its businesses operate — giving them preferential treatment over their rivals. That's a big sticking point in U.S.-China trade talks.