China's politically sensitive trade surplus fell to $14.51 billion in September as exports slowed sharply, official data showed Thursday, amid economic turmoil in the United States and Europe.

A day after the US Senate passed legislation to punish China for its alleged currency manipulation, House Speaker John Boehner signaled he would block the bill to prevent a "trade war."

LONDON (Reuters) - For every Apple iPad sold in the United States, the U.S. trade deficit with China increases by about $275.

The US Senate has passed a bill to punish China for alleged currency manipulation, a move Beijing slammed as a "time-bomb" that could start a trade war between the world's top two economies.

The US Senate passed a bill to punish China for alleged currency manipulation, a move Beijing slammed as a "time-bomb" that could start a trade war between the world's top two economies.

Defying Chinese anger and White House warnings, the US Senate passed legislation to punish Beijing for alleged currency manipulation widely blamed here for costing American jobs.

With 2012 elections looming, it is possible that President Obama will try to penalize China for its large bilateral trade surplus with the U.S. . The Chinese government, in an effort to maximize exports and minimize US imports, prints their Yuan to buy dollars. This prevents their currency from rising and the dollar from falling. Then it loans those same dollars back to America by buying US debt.

Defying Chinese anger and White House warnings, the US Senate was set Tuesday to approve legislation to punish China for alleged currency manipulation widely blamed here for costing American jobs.

Japan's current account surplus shrank 64.3 percent year-on-year in August, the sixth straight monthly fall as higher energy import costs overshadowed a small gain in exports, data showed Tuesday.

Defying Chinese anger and White House warnings, the US Senate was set Tuesday to approve legislation to punish China for alleged currency manipulation widely blamed here for costing American jobs.

Japan's current account surplus shrank by 64.3 percent from a year earlier in August, the sixth consecutive decline in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, government data showed on Tuesday.

Scoring points on currency rates may make good political sense, but it's lousy policy.. Scoring points on currency rates may make good political sense, but it's lousy policy.

The German trade surplus grew in August as exports shrugged off the eurozone debt crisis, at least for now, and rose for the first time in three months, official data showed on Monday.

President Barack Obama accused China of unfair trade practices that hurt the American economy as the US Senate advanced a bill to retaliate against Beijing for alleged currency manipulation.

Defying long odds and opposition from China, the US business community and the White House, the US Senate presses ahead Thursday with a measure to punish Beijing for its alleged currency manipulation.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The prospects for U.S. legislation designed to get China to revalue its currency appeared to dim on Wednesday when the White House voiced concern it could violate international trade rules.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The prospects for U.S. legislation designed to get China to revalue its currency appeared to dim on Wednesday when the White House voiced concern it could violate international trade rules.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Wednesday voiced concern that legislation the U.S. Senate is expected to approve this week designed to press China to let its currency rise could violate international trade rules.

(Reuters) - A sharp rise in China's yuan currency might cut the U.S. trade deficit by as much as one third and create enough American jobs to put at least a modest dent in the unemployment rate.

Booming mining exports to Asia saw Australia record its sixth consecutive monthly trade surplus on Tuesday, with strong growth in coal and iron ore shipments offsetting a fall in prices.