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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, September 15, 2009

BUSINESS BRIEFS
China, U.S. may avoid trade war over tire tariff


Advertiser News Services

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

A shopper passes a tire store in China. U.S. tariffs on Chinese tires have infuriated Beijing at a time when the U.S. needs China's help on climate change and nuclear issues.

ANDY WONG | Associated Press

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WASHINGTON — China's complaint yesterday over new U.S. tariffs on Chinese tires raised pressure on Washington but isn't likely to incite a full-blown trade war. Each side knows its economy has too much to lose.

The United States, the world's largest economy, represents a huge market for Chinese exports. And China is the largest holder of U.S. government debt at a time when the federal deficit has swollen to record levels because of economic rescue measures.

China quickly took its case to the World Trade Organization after President Obama ordered steep additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese tires for three years, including 35 percent in the first year. The increases come on top of the current 4 percent tariff.

For China, barriers on its exports to the U.S. mean job losses at home. Still, private economists say they expect both sides to avoid a conflict that would harm producers in each country.

BAILED OUT FIRMS POST EXPENSE RULES

WASHINGTON — Firms that received billions of dollars of government aid have published policies meant to limit lavish expenses, new rules that follow reports of costly private jets, spa retreats and other corporate excess at firms receiving taxpayer money.

The Treasury Department required financial institutions and automakers that received money from the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program to post their new policies covering "excessive or luxury expenditures" on their corporate Web sites.

LILLY TO RESTRUCTURE, CUT 5,500 POSITIONS

INDIANAPOLIS — Seeking to cut costs and bring new drugs to market more quickly as its best-sellers go off-patent, drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. said it will eliminate 5,500 jobs over two years and reorganize into five business units.

Lilly said it will reduce its work force by nearly 14 percent, to 35,000 from the current 40,500, by the end of 2011. Lilly hopes to cut annual costs by $1 billion per year over the same time