How China Dodged Trump’s Tariffs With Help From More Than 40 Countries

It says more than 40 countries helped China get around US tariffs.

So this is not only a US-China story.

It also pulls in several other countries.

Exactly. The White House named Canada, India, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea.

It says goods were sent through those places because they face lower US import duties.

And the report says that helped China avoid a huge amount of money?

Yes. The White House says it may have helped China evade tens of billions of dollars in tariffs.

A trade adviser, Peter Navarro, said it cost American jobs and billions in revenue.

That is a serious claim.

And it shows how trade policy can affect more than one country at a time.

Right. The process is called transshipping.

That means cargo is moved through another country on the way to its final destination.

The report says China used that route to hide where some goods really came from.

So the paperwork matters just as much as the shipping route.

It does. The White House even called it fraud cloaked in paperwork.

It said some goods were repackaged to hide their origin.

That helped them get a lower tariff rate.

What makes this especially important now?

Because it comes weeks before Donald Trump is due to meet Xi Jinping in Washington.

So the report could become part of the next trade talks.

In other words, this is also about pressure, not only customs forms.

Yes. One economics professor in Singapore said Washington can use the report to strengthen its bargaining position.

She also said some trade changes could be legitimate.

She mentioned supply chains moving around.

So there is a real tension here.

Some of these flows may be normal business, but the US is saying others are abuse.

That is the heart of it. The report says the US has even used artificial intelligence tools to catch transshipping efforts.

And the wider fight between the US and China is still going on.

That is true even after some tariff pauses.

And China’s side is pushing back too, I saw.

Yes. The Chinese embassy said trade wars have no winners.

It opposes the US tariff measures.

So both sides are still trying to shape the story before the meeting.

Thanks, Jack. That gives us the business angle very clearly.

Instagram accounts fuelling Ceuta crisis with paid advice for help to cross

Now we go to Chloe, our LinguaWire correspondent for society.

Thanks, Daniel. The new development here is a network of Instagram accounts.

They are promoting the crossing to Ceuta.

They are also offering paid help.

This is a very human story, but also a very modern one.

Social media is becoming part of the journey.

That is right. The report says the accounts make the trip sound easy and safe.

But people have drowned trying to make that crossing.

Some posts also wrongly suggest Ceuta is a route to mainland Europe.

So the image online is not matching the reality on the water.

Not at all. One example in the report is a fake man named Mohammed.

He was used to message several accounts.

One replied with advice and a price.

A fake account is a smart way to check what these pages are actually offering.

It is. One account asked for 5,000 dirhams upfront.

The report says that is about £400.

It was for information that would help him enter Ceuta.

It also mentioned sewer pipes as a possible route.

That is disturbing, because it shows a mix of hype and practical instructions.

Yes, and the report says there are dozens of these profiles.

Many use names linked to Haraga.

Some have Spanish flags or Morocco-Spain phone codes in their profiles.

So the pages do not look random.

They look connected.

That is the point. The report says many of them seem to be run from Morocco.

It says a few may be based in Spain or Italy.

It also says the content has gained more traction in recent weeks.

And this comes after the bigger crisis last month, when huge numbers arrived in Ceuta.

Yes. About 78,000 migrants from Morocco arrived by sea in a matter of hours last month, according to the report.

The mayor of Ceuta said 100 people died.

After that, the crisis calmed, but the tension has stayed.

So the social media side is not separate from the crisis.

It is part of what keeps it moving.

Exactly. The report says Instagram and its recommendation system are helping spread this content.

After the platform was contacted, some profiles were removed.

Meta said it has a team monitoring the situation in real time.

That makes the story bigger than one border.

It is also about how platforms handle risky content.

Yes, and that is why this matters.

A short post or video can make a dangerous journey look simple.

That can pull more people toward the same route.

Thanks, Chloe. That really shows the pressure behind these accounts.

First, three words from the second story.

Profile means an account page on a social media site. In the story, several profiles were part of the same network. Example: I checked the profile before I replied to the message.

Content means the posts, photos, or videos people share online. In the story, the content made the crossing look easy. Example: The app removes content that breaks the rules.

Traction means growing attention or support. In the story, the content gained more traction in recent weeks. Example: Her idea gained traction after people shared it online.

Now the grammar point: be due to.

We use be due to when we talk about something that is expected or planned to happen.

Example one: Donald Trump is due to meet Xi Jinping in Washington.

Example two: The report is due to add pressure before the talks.

Repeat after me: is due to meet