US steel and aluminum tariffs are in reality economic sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his annual Q&A session. “Apparently, our partners thought they would never be affected by such a counterproductive policy related to restrictions and sanctions. However, we see now that it is happening.” [...]

The practice of using "unwritten" rules has been in existence for years in China, making the entry into the country's market more difficult for foreign firms. With the unfolding trade between Beijing and Washington these rules may be weaponized, warns a think tank. [...]

With the trade war between two world’s largest economies gaining momentum, there is a genuine risk that all Chinese goods imported by the US will be slammed with new tariffs, being a part of “administration-wide” broadside against China. [...]

The tax and trade policies of Donald Trump are, in fact, what have contributed to the surge in oil prices, a US economics professor told RT, adding that the US President’s tough words to OPEC are a political stunt. On Thursday, Trump accused OPEC’s Middle East producers of “pushing for higher and higher oil prices” and demanded “they stop it,” adding that the US is “protecting those [...]

Weeks of negotiations with the Trump administration have ended with carmaker Volkswagen (VW) agreeing to cease most of its operations in Iran, said US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, as cited by Bloomberg. “Volkswagen has told us they will comply with US sanctions on Iran,” said Grenell, adding: “We are pleased with this decision because Iran diverts its economic resources away from i [...]

New Delhi wants to encourage Russian investments and has invited the country’s companies to explore business opportunities and strengthen bilateral economic ties, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has said. [...]

Volkswagen-owned premium brand Audi has unveiled the E-Tron, a battery-powered crossover, which is just about to hit dealerships, making the market of electric vehicles rather more choiceful for eco-friendly enthusiasts. E-tron, Audi’s first electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV), debuted in San Francisco on Monday night. [...]

In an unprecedented traverse of Russia’s Northern Sea Route, a heavy 3,600-container ship is taking advantage of rising summer temperatures and melting ice in the polar regions of the Arctic Ocean to cut two weeks off its delivery time from South Korea to St. Petersburg, Russia. [...]

An Austrian court has sided with Russia’s state-backed vodka maker in the battle over the Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya brands, ordering the Dutch-based Spirits International B.V to pay compensation for using them illegally. Stolichnaya vodka has long been one of the world’s most recognizable brands associated with Russia. [...]

US Wheat Associates (USW) has announced the closing of its Moscow office on October 1 due to lack of demand for American wheat in Russia. Since 2016, Russia has been the global leader in grain exports. “With much more public information available about Russia’s wheat supply, we believe it is time to end our mission there and continue allocating more resources in markets where our export volume [...]

BERLIN (Sputnik) – The German business community has urged the German government to strengthen its cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as a means to respond to the threat of protectionism stemming from the United States, head of the German Eastern Business Association said. [...]

Lockheed Martin’s social media appeal to send them the best photos of its products went horribly awry, as unimpressed Twitterati responded with gruesome images of the horrors of war. The world’s largest defense contractor and one of the top defense manufacturers posted a tweet last week, asking Twitter users to send them an “amazing photo” of a Lockheed Martin item. [...]

In August, China has marked the 10th anniversary of its high-speed railway endeavors. Speaking to Sputnik, Tom McGregor, a Beijing-based CCTV commentator and editor, explained how the country's bullet trains are bringing the nation together and facilitating China's economic growth regardless of the US tariff spree. [...]

Ankara has given a green light to Moscow’s proposal to switch to ruble-lira trade between the countries. Turkey also has similar plans for trade with China and other countries. “We are discussing the transition to national currencies not only with Russia and China, but also with other countries. It is not just Turkey's request. [...]

A Californian court has found chemical giant Monsanto's weedkiller caused a 46-year-old man's terminal cancer and ordered the company to pay almost US$290 million in compensation, in a landmark ruling which could open the door to thousands of similar cases being brought the world over. For the company's critics, the news is a long-time coming. [...]

RT’s Boom Bust show presents the second part of a special project that looks into the quality of the US infrastructure. Even President Trump admitted that, when it comes to airports, the US is like a Third World country. Infrastructure is one of the major issues in the US as it affects the lives of millions of people and billions of dollars in the world’s largest economy. [...]

Industrial representatives say the tariffs would harm the US itself. Germany's Federation of Industries (BDI) has warned that tariffs imposed by Washington on the EU risk harming the US itself. On June 1, the US imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from the EU, and now the White House is currently threatening to extend the tariffs to cars and car parts as well. Jean-Claude Ju [...]

Instead of hitting Russia's energy sector, Washington's sanctions imposed on Moscow since 2014 have finally backfired on major US oil and gas companies, depriving them of lucrative opportunities and forcing them out of Russia. While Russia is boosting oil output following a decision by OPEC and non-OPEC producers to ease extraction cuts, US petroleum companies are reaping the bitter fruits of� [...]

The majority of Germans support Nord Stream 2, a poll revealed Monday. It also showed that most dismissed Donald Trump’s negative comments on the pipeline as a tactic to promote US liquefied gas in Europe. Two thirds of respondents support the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline because it would help provide Germany with a more reliable supply of natural gas, according to the the Forsa poll, which [...]

China cuts US investments by 92 percent this year amid escalating trade war. The US market saw a significant plunge in investment from China in the first five months of the year amid a growing trade row between the world's two largest economies. [...]

American aircraft giant Boeing will spend billions of dollars in the next 30 years on direct purchases in Russia. According to Kravchenko, Russian titanium will be mainly used for the production of the B777 and B787 Dreamliner. The Boeing 777 is a long-range wide-body twin-engine jet airliner. It is the world’s largest twinjet and has a typical seating capacity of 314 to 396 passengers. [...]

Mexican President-elect Andres Mannuel Lopez Obrador plans to cancel a $1.36 billion order for 8 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for the country's Navy. The gunships, intended for use to counter the drug trade, are just too expensive, Obrador says. But are there more affordable alternatives with similar capabilities out there? [...]