Uncertainty remains: have Trump and XI talking about a deal or not?

Well. The trade war that started by US President Donald Trump was almost impossible to follow. In the last few days, a little extra went on. Where Trump claimed that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping would have called him – and added that he found that a sign of weakness of XI – China has already denied several times that has been called to the White House. While those comments from Trump were partly the cause of the rally on Wall Street last week.

The Chinese Handelsministerie stated this weekend that « there were no consultations or negotiations between China and the US about tariff issues, let alone that there is any agreement. » Claims about a dialogue would be « nothing but misleading ». « If the US really wants to solve the problem through dialogue, it must first correct the mistakes, stop threatening and putting others under pressure, and completely withdraw all one -sided tariff measures against China, » Anp and AFP news agency translated the message from the Ministry.

And that wasn’t the only thing. The American Handelsminister Scott Bessent did not give Trump no back cover. He said he had been in contact this weekend (during the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Washington) with his Chinese counterpart – the sender of the above denial. But that that was not about the impasse around the taxes. And stronger: Bessent said he « also doesn’t know if President Trump spoke with Xi. »

In the financial markets, the mood does not seem super positive. In Asia the indices show a mixed image, the futures for Europe point to a lower (VK and FR) and higher (NL and Dld) opening. For the United States, all predictors are light on red for the exhibition openings. That could have to do with The first economic effects that seeps through the uncertainty about Trumps war. So report The Wall Street Journal that companies grab that only means that they do have under control: implement cost savings. The Financial Times writes that American (air) ports that process freight feel the uncertainty: The bookings are behind In anticipation of a deal between Trump and XI.

We also read this weekend and this morning:

• After years that AkzoNobel was mainly concerned with himself because of restructuring and the split -off of the chemical branch, would be the paint and coating company on the takeover path. Akzo would are interested in the coating daughter set for sale by the German competitor BASF for sale. That writes Het Financieele Dagblad Based on sources. The BASF daughter should cost around 6 billion euros. According to the sources, there would be no concrete bid.

• The shortening of the unemployment benefit by six months, as is the plan of the cabinet, dupes 65,000 long-term unemployed people ‘serious’. That sets the CNV based on its own economic analysis. By shortening the unemployment benefit from two years to 18 months, so that the unemployed have to be in social assistance earlierthis group goes wrong on average 8,500 euros per year in income, says the trade union. For many people over 55 it will be even worse: many of them have a house with a surplus value of more than 64,000 euros. Then the right to assistance also expires.

• Even more news from our pink competitor: Accountancy firms have so much trouble finding new Dutch staff that they increasingly recruit abroad. In South and Eastern Europe, but also in South Africa and Sri Lanka. It reports that FD After a tour of offices. The often cheaper employees from those countries often do boring and repetitive activities, so that Dutch employees can start complicated tasks faster – which in turn helps to get talent here.

• And finally a head where I had to chuckle this weekend: ‘Klaas Knot also clapped with standing ovation for Fed-boss Powell’. Powell received the room-and the almost departing DNB president-out of the seats during a speech at the IMF. Head of the American Central Bank, which was abhorred by Trump gave a speech about the protection of central banks against political influences. Would it also be crazy if Klaas had stayed in, right?

Read the blog from last week here: