U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met for about eight hours at JPMorgan’s headquarters in New York on Sept. 20 Eastern Time, with trade and artificial intelligence at the center of the discussions. According to CBS, Bessent told reporters after the meeting that the two sides had a "very successful" exchange and agreed to meet again. The talks came ahead of a planned Sept. 24 White House meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Bessent said Washington proposed a "U.S.-China AI dialogue" that would include a reporting mechanism for serious AI incidents, including those reaching the level of national security. He said greater transparency between the world’s two largest AI powers was important. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said export controls on advanced AI chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment would not be part of that proposed framework. On trade, Bessent said a newly launched trade committee was working to identify non-sensitive goods for more balanced trade, including consumer goods, low-tech products, energy products, agricultural goods, and possibly medical devices. Xinhua described the exchange as candid, in-depth, and constructive, while Bloomberg cited Chinese chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang as saying the atmosphere was good and working-level talks would continue on Sept. 21.

Trade talks between the United States and Canada broke down at the last minute, quickly leading to a fresh round of tariff escalation between the two countries. According to CNBC, the negotiations fell apart late Friday, and the U.S. moved on Saturday to impose 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian products. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa will begin dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on Sept. 8. Carney said the U.S. was "asking for too much and offering too little" and accused Washington of adding new demands in the final stage of negotiations. Those requests, he said, involved Canada’s auto industry, cultural protections, and French-language guarantees. Carney described the situation as a trade war between the two countries. Canada’s planned response will target steel, dairy products, agricultural machinery, pulp, and paper. Carney also said Canada had been prepared to remove existing retaliatory tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles if the U.S. lowered its own measures at the same time, but no deal was reached. The report said markets are now watching how the renewed tariff conflict could affect broader risk sentiment, including spillover into crypto and other risk assets around the Sept. 8 implementation date.

Canadian Prime Minister Carney said trade talks with the United States have been suspended, according to ChainCatcher. He also said the U.S. plans to impose a 50% tariff increase on Canada. In response, Canada will take countermeasures at the same rate. Carney said the move is intended to protect Canadian workers and businesses. The statement points to a fresh escalation in trade friction between the two countries, with Ottawa framing its response as a direct and proportional reaction to Washington’s planned tariff action.

ChainCatcher reported that trade talks between the United States and Canada have stalled as the deadline for higher U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods draws closer. The sticking point, according to the brief update, is a disagreement over core interests between the two sides. The report also said U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation that will impose a 50% tariff on Canadian imports starting Aug. 19. No other details were provided in the source about the scope of the goods affected, the status of any follow-up talks, or possible exemptions. The update was categorized under policy and regulation by ChainCatcher and published on Aug. 15, 2026.

The RBI pushes a plan to link CBDCs across BRICS nations, aiming to reduce dollar reliance but facing Trump's tariff threats. Pilot programs vary, while US-India trade tensions deepen.

Trump said the US is ready to increase trade pressure on India over its continued purchases of Russian crude, while markets watch whether tariff escalation could spill into Bitcoin and the wider crypto sector.