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The value of U.S. farm exports to China will touch $31.5 billion in the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30, the highest ever, the U.S. Agriculture Department said Feb. 18 in a report.

China could increase U.S. pork imports to the highest ever this year as part of its commitment to bolster purchases of American farm goods to resolve the trade war between the countries, according to sources familiar with the situation.

After two years of bumper profits, the steel industry is entering a slowdown. ArcelorMittal, as well as smaller European producers like Salzgitter AG and Voestalpine AG, are sounding the alarm about weakening conditions, particularly in China. The country, which uses about half of the world’s steel, is now expected to see a drop in demand, the first contraction since 2015.

TOKYO — Japan’s exports fell 3.8% in December from a year earlier, hit by slowing demand in China, as the trade balance shifted back into deficit for the year, the Japanese government reported Jan. 23.

President Trump laid out his demands July 17 for a new North American Free Trade Agreement, setting the stage for rounds of negotiations among U.S., Canadian and Mexican officials to overhaul the landmark treaty that dictates the nations’ cross-border commerce.