China Briefing 20 August 2026: Oil and gas plan | Xi on climate change | Coal five-year plan
In this issue, Carbon Brief examines China’s five-year plan for coal.
Canada could retaliate against President-elect Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs by shutting down energy flows to the United States, a top Canadian official warned. “We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy going down to Michigan, going down to New York State and over to Wisconsin,” Premier Doug Ford of Ontario, Canada’s largest province, threatened on Wednesday evening.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance say their interim deal to end the war with Iran will deliver a financial windfall to American farmers.
The U.S. has threatened countries supporting the tax with visa restrictions, tariffs, and port fees. A slim majority of nations still back it.
President Trump issued a proclamation on August 6 imposing tariffs on polysilicon and solar products.
As the Senate weighs the CLARITY Act, gaps in oversight could hand adversaries new ways to evade sanctions and launder money.
In March 2026, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced it was investigating "structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors" in 16 economies.