WASHINGTON — Record imports lifted the U.S. trade deficit to $48.7 billion in October, highest since January. [AP | December 5, 2017 | The New York Times] The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the trade gap rose 8.6 percent in October from $44.9 billion in September. Imports hit a record $244.6 billion in October, and…

President Donald J. Trump may have tipped his hand on which way he is leaning on the solar tariff case with a virtually unnoticed appointment overnight. [FRANK ANDORKA | December 5, 2017 | PV Magazine] Late last night, Trump appointed three men to his Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, including Daniel DiMicco, former…

Australia, concerned about rising Chinese influence, will ban foreign political donations as part of a crackdown aimed at preventing external interference in domestic politics, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Tuesday. [December 5, 2017 | SCMP] Turnbull told reporters in Canberra that foreign powers were making “unprecedented and increasingly sophisticated attempts to influence the political…