US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he will announce on Monday new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the US, which would come on top of existing metals duties in another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul.

Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, on his way to the NFL Super Bowl in New Orleans, also said he will announce reciprocal tariffs on Tuesday or Wednesday, to take effect almost immediately.

He said the US would match tariff rates levied by other countries and that this would apply to all countries.

“And very simply, it’s, if they charge us, we charge them,” Trump said of the reciprocal tariff plan.

Trump during his first term imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum, but later granted several trading partners duty-free quotas, including Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

Former President Joe Biden extended these quotas to Britain, Japan and the European Union, and US steel mill capacity utilization has dropped in recent years.

According to government and American Iron and Steel Institute data, the largest sources of US steel imports are Canada, Brazil and Mexico, followed by South Korea and Vietnam.

By a large margin, Canada is the largest supplier of primary aluminum metal to the United States, accounting for 79% of total imports in the first 11 months of 2024. Mexico is a major supplier of aluminum scrap and aluminum alloy.

Matching rates

Trump said he would hold a news conference on Tuesday or Wednesday to provide detailed information on the reciprocal tariff plan, adding that he first revealed on Friday that he was planning reciprocal tariffs to ensure “that we’re treated evenly with other countries.”

The new US president has long complained about the EU’s 10% tariffs on auto imports being much higher than the US car rate of 2.5%. He frequently states that Europe “won’t take our cars” but ships millions west across the Atlantic every year.

The US, however, enjoys a 25% tariff on pickup trucks, a vital source of profits for Detroit automakers General Motors, Ford and Stellantis’ US operations.

The US trade-weighted average tariff rate is about 2.2%, according to World Trade Organization data, compared to 12% for India, 6.7% for Brazil, 5.1% for Vietnam and 2.7% for European Union countries.

(By Jeff Mason, David Lawder and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Mongolia plans to press China next week to approve a new railway link that could boost an already growing coal trade between the two countries.

Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai will travel to China Feb. 13 and plans to sign an agreement with officials there to build a cross-border line and expand coal production from the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine, a government spokesperson told Bloomberg.

China Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun declined to comment on the specific exchange, but said the two countries are committed to deepening cooperation in a variety of fields.

Mongolia Seeks to Expand on Growing China Coal Trade

Nation wants to complete a cross-border rail link

Mongolia was China’s fourth-largest supplier of foreign coal last year, and provided 60% of coking coal imports for the nation’s massive steel mills. Increasing the trade would mean more revenue for Mongolia, while Chinese buyers may need to find replacements for some US and Russian cargoes because of tariffs and trade sanctions.

The land-locked nation’s parliament has already approved the railway connection and authorized 976 billion tugrik ($283 million) in financing for state-owned miner Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi JSC to build it, Ikon News reported, citing a Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources press conference. The deal with China is also expected to include coal sales and purchase agreements, Ikon reported.

Coal shipments from Mongolia to China jumped to nearly 83 million tons last year from 70 million in 2023 and just 31 million in 2022, when the country built a 240-kilometer (149-mile) railway line to China from the Tavan Tolgoi mine. The tracks stopped just short of the border, however, requiring trucks to complete the trip.

Completing the rail connection won’t solve all the transportation headaches. Mongolia uses Russian standard rail gauges that differ from those used in China.

According to data from the Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, 44,758 earthquakes were recorded across Mongolia and its border regions in 2024. Of these, 22,609 occurred within Mongolia’s territory.

The majority of these seismic events had a magnitude of one or less, with 20,149 incidents reported. There were 5,607 earthquakes with a magnitude of two, 341 with a magnitude of three, and 39 with a magnitude of four. Notably, three earthquakes of magnitude five and one of magnitude six were also recorded. Also, 43 seismic events registered a magnitude of 3.5 or higher.

In Ulaanbaatar, 747 earthquakes were documented last year. Of these, 595 had a magnitude of one or less, 140 had a magnitude of two, and 11 registered a magnitude of three. One earthquake with a magnitude of four was also recorded.

Arkhangai, Bayankhongor, Khuvsgul and Umnugovi provinces were identified as the most seismically active regions in the country.

Seismologists gathered this data using a network of earthquake monitoring stations strategically placed across Mongolia, which continuously track and analyze seismic activity. Experts urge ongoing public awareness and preparedness measures, given the country’s susceptibility to frequent earthquakes.

Deputy commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Joshua M. Rudd met with Mongolian Minister of Defense Sandag Byambatsogt at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii on February 4, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command reported.

The parties discussed defense ties, advancing shared interests and cooperation, military modernization, and expansion of peacekeeping operations.

The U.S. and Mongolia upgraded their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership in 2019, and this year marks 38 years of the U.S.-Mongolian relationship rooted in shared values and mutual respect.

The “Sor Cashmere” company collaborates with more than 150 local knitting workshops and exports its products to 17 countries, including the Federal Republic of Nepal, Japan, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, the United States, the Republic of Korea, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Republic of India.

The company provides regular employment for around 150 people and hires an additional 20 to 30 seasonal workers for fiber sorting. It supports its employees by offering on-site accommodations next to the factory. Each year, it processes around 800 tons of cashmere, about 200 tons of camel wool, over 30 tons of yak wool, and more than 200 tons of sheep wool, producing 100 percent pure yarn and finished products.

Under the “White Gold” National Movement initiated by the President of Mongolia, Economic Policy Advisor to the President Davaadalai Batsuuri, and the Head of the Light Industry Policy Implementation and Coordination Department at the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry, M. Dondogdorj, toured the operations of “Sor Cashmere” and “Snow Fields” LLC.

“Sor Cashmere,” established in 1998 to handle raw material sourcing, domestic and foreign trade, and cashmere dehairing, has been purchasing key livestock raw materials such as cashmere, yak wool, and camel wool directly from herders and processing them. The company has facilities for sorting and washing wool, dehairing, dyeing, spinning wool, and cashmere yarn, as well as producing knitted finished products, and transforming primary raw materials into final goods. Company officials noted that the “White Gold” National Movement was timely, opening up major opportunities to support manufacturers.

“Snow Fields” LLC began producing and exporting cashmere knitwear in 2004 using Japanese Shimaseiki knitting machines. According to the company’s management, the company has been implementing a quality management system since 2018, aligning all documentation with international standards and consistently supplying high-quality products and services to clients.

Obtaining the Textile Sustainable Production Certificate, the company follows a sustainable development policy in line with Mongolia’s “Vision-2050” and the UN’s “Sustainable Development Goals-2030." It recycles by-products and technological waste generated during production and reintegrates them into the production process.

A team of researchers from Okayama University of Science (OUS) in Japan and the Institute of Paleontology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences have uncovered fossil footprints of massive plant-eating hadrosaurid dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period, SciNews reports.

One of the footprints is around 92 cm (3 feet) across, making it one of the largest hadrosaurid footprints ever found.

The largest footprint is believed to have belonged to a giant Saurolophus, estimated to exceed 15 m (50 feet) in total body length, surpassing even Tyrannosaurus and Tarbosaurus in size, the paleontologists say.

"Our discovery suggests that one of the largest bipedal animals ever known lived in Mongolia, raising hopes for the discovery of equally massive skeletal remains," they note.

The researchers also discovered a 24-m- (79-foot) long trackway in the Gobi Desert consisting of 13 fossilized footprints, each around 85 cm (2.8 feet) across.

The presence of so many tracks in one place suggests that these dinosaurs may have traveled together in herds.

The site was first discovered during a 2018 expedition, but a recent research trip in June 2024 led by director of the Museum of Dinosaur Research at the Okayama University of Science Shinobu Ishigaki found more tracks.

"The identification of 14 trackways, including one found before 2018, enables the analysis of posture, walking style, speed, and group behavior — details that cannot be inferred from skeletal fossils," Shinobu Ishigaki stated.

Until now, the largest known hadrosaurid skeleton belonged to Shantungosaurus, discovered in Shandong province, China.

However, the latest discoveries in Mongolia suggest the potential for uncovering similarly massive skeletal remains in the region, the researchers believe.

"Our next goal is to uncover the full skeleton of the large Saurolophus responsible for these footprints," Dr. Ishigaki concluded.

A fire in Mongolia's capital Ulan Bator has claimed the lives of four family members, local media reported Thursday, citing police.

The blaze broke out in a traditional ger, a round-shaped dwelling, in Bayanzurkh district on Wednesday night, killing a man in his 40s and his three children, aged one to 11.

An investigation is underway to find out the cause of the fire.

Housing remains a critical issue in Mongolia, particularly in Ulan Bator, where more than half of the country's 3.5 million people reside.

Over half of the capital's residents live in ger districts, where access to basic infrastructure such as running water, central heating and sewerage systems is lacking.

As a result, many rely on burning processed fuel and other flammable materials to stay warm and cook during the long and harsh winter. The city frequently experiences fires and other winter-related hazards, often linked to heating methods and fuel sources.

In a similar recent tragedy, six members of a family in the Bayangol district died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in late January. Preliminary findings suggest that they suffocated while using improved fuel for heating.

Ambassador Giovanna Piccarreta met today with the Rector of the National University of Mongolia, Prof. Ochirkhuyag Bayanjargal, to announce Italy’s contribution to the courses of Italian language and culture at the University, thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The meeting aimed at further promoting the Italian language and culture, as well as the academic collaboration between the two Countries. During the meeting, the success of existing collaborations with prestigious Italian academic institutions was highlighted. Many opportunities also exist in the scientific field, involving the respective centers of excellence.

The common goal is to facilitate academic mobility, the exchange of students and faculty, and the development of joint research projects.

Italy continues to strengthen its presence in Mongolia by investing in education, science, and culture as fundamental tools to enhance bilateral dialogue and promote sustainable and shared prosperity.

Petro Matad Limited (AIM: MATD), the AIM quoted Mongolian oil company, confirms that after completion of the certification process, the Block XX Exploitation Area which contains the Company's producing Heron oilfield, has been confirmed as State Special Purpose Land. This is the first oil exploration and production area in Mongolia to have been given this status.

The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources recently secured the signature from the Provincial Governor on the Tripartite Agreement, the absence of which had been holding up the process, and the certificate has now been issued by the Central Land Agency. Under the Land Law, as State Special Purpose land, it will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources to secure the land access for all areas within the Block XX Exploitation Area required for operations.

Mike Buck, CEO of Petro Matad, said:

"We are very grateful to the Minister for his decisive action. Whilst we were able to get approvals for land use at the district level in 2024 and recently also for 2025, the newly confirmed categorisation of Block XX will streamline the land use process in future. We have fought hard to secure this result and we are pleased that the process is complete and the State Special Purpose certification is now in place".