Russia Bill Broadens Sanctions but Could Fuel Fears Over the Dollar

A Russia sanctions bill is posing a dilemma for the Trump administration: Lawmakers are pushing to wage further financial warfare just as the administration worries that heavy use of sanctions may erode the U.S. dollar’s supremacy. The bill, which was the brainchild of Senator Lindsey Graham before his death, aims to impose mandatory sanctions on Russia and its allies and potentially broaden the reach of penalties to include tariffs on buyers of Russian energy. The White House has said that the scope of the sanctions could broaden to include Iran…

U.S. Will Waive Oil Sanctions That Have Long Crimped Iran

The U.S. will lift sanctions on Iran’s oil industry when a preliminary deal is signed in what amounts to a major financial win for the country. Iran’s energy industry — the lifeblood of its economy — has been subject to financial restrictions for many years. Assuming its deal with the United States holds, Iran will probably be able to charge more for the oil it exports and sell that fuel to many more buyers. It is one area where the country appears likely to end the war on better footing…

How the U.S. Is Trying to Ensure the Dollar’s Dominance During Economic Turmoil

The summit between President Trump and China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, in Beijing this week is likely to include tense discussions about tariffs, Taiwan, Iran and sanctions. But simmering below the surface is another battle between the United States and China: an intensifying currency war. Concerns about America’s mounting debt load and its aggressive use of sanctions to cut adversaries off from the Western financial system have raised doubts about the safety of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Those fears have led to growing demand for gold and…

Businesses Brace for Currency Chaos in Asia

Tigun Wibisana and Sandra Kok, who own the SiTigun cafe on Penang Island in Malaysia, are facing an excruciating decision that could make or break their business of 14 years: Can they increase prices to cover rising expenses without driving customers into the arms of their bigger rivals? The cost of the coffee beans that the couple, who are married, buy is spiraling because they are traded globally in U.S. dollars, and the Malaysian ringgit has fallen to a 24-year low. Compound that with an inflationary spike in prices for…