【142-143】 Trade Dispute between US, China Rises
*【142】AS IT IS
Trade Dispute between US, China Rises
June 15, 2018
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House, Friday, June 15, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump has blamed the trade imbalance between the two countries for the loss of American jobs. In March, while signing an order calling for tariffs on China’s imports, the president said “It is the largest deficit of any country in the history of our world.”
China’s trade surplus with the U.S. last year was about $375 billion. Trump said that with the increased tariffs he hopes to cut the trade deficit with China by $100 billion.
The tariffs were in response to complaints that China requires or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. American officials say they have targeted products that might benefit from Chinese industrial policies.
American businesses, however, are worried that rising trade tensions will hurt U.S. economic growth.
Thomas Donohue is president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He said tariffs place “the cost of China’s unfair trade practices squarely on the shoulders of American consumers, manufacturers, farmers, and ranchers.”
Gary Cohn was formerly a top economic adviser for the president. At an event sponsored by The Washington Post, he added, “If you end up with a tariff battle, you will end up with price inflation, and you could end up with consumer debt.”
The U.S. had earlier announced tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Japan, Mexico and Europe. The announcement led major American allies to promise their own trade measures to answer the American import taxes.
I’m Mario Ritter.
Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on AP, Reuters and VOA news reports. Mario Ritter was the editor.
Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
_____________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
tariffs –n. taxes on imported or exported goods or services
intellectual property –n. property such as inventions, research and media that carry rights for the owner to use, sell or gain from the property
benefit –n. a good result
scale –n. the size of something, especially in comparison to something else
squarely –adv. fully
*【143】 AS IT IS
American Doctors Demand Changes to Gun Laws
June 15, 2018
A demonstrator chant slogans during a march and rally against gun violence, Saturday, June 2, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
The 243,000-member AMA has more influence with politicians and the public than other doctor groups.
The National Rifle Association did not immediately answer email and telephone requests for comment about the doctors' votes.
AMA members pointed to U.S. government data that show about 40,000 died and 111,000 were injured from guns in 2016. Cases of each have been rising in recent years.
By comparison, U.S. deaths from diabetes in 2016 totaled almost 80,000; Alzheimer's, 111,000; and lung disease, 155,000. The leading killers in 2016 were heart disease, with 634,000 deaths, and cancer, about 600,000.
I'm Caty Weaver.
Caty Weaver adapted this Associated Press report for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
_______________________________________________________________
Words in this Story
physician – n. medical doctor
toll – n. very bad effect
stalker – n. a person who closely follows and watches another person for a long period of time in a way that is threatening, dangerous, etc.
trauma surgeon – n. a doctor who operates on severely injured people
agenda – n. a list of things to be considered or done
audience – n. the people who watch, read, or listen to something