Jim Zarroli

The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled nearly 3 percent Thursday after the Trump administration announced plans to impose tariffs on Chinese imports.

Its competitors often complain that unfair trade practices have helped China become the world's top exporter. Now, the Trump administration seems increasingly likely to confront China on trade.

The steel and aluminum tariffs are based on the idea that these homegrown industries are critical for national security purposes. But global supply chains make it tough for the U.S. to go it alone.

U.S. steel producers have seen their market share erode since China began ramping up production. President Trump sees tariffs on imports as a way to protect domestic producers.

Trump's plan to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum imports would hurt Canada — the leading supplier of the materials to the U.S. Canada's trade practices have been singled out for criticism by Trump.

This gathering of negotiators in Mexico City was supposed to be the final word on the trade agreement. But now it looks like they will come back to Washington for another round this spring.

President Trump is weighing tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum imports. But a backlash is brewing by aerospace companies and other manufacturers, who say such moves will drive up costs.

The economic expansion has come with high corporate profits, but barely any wage growth. Now, markets are in a tizzy over a a recent bump up in wages. But Germany has an even tighter job market without higher inflation, and one measure of job market tightness — the number of people who quit jobs to take new ones — remains low.

After a very long stretch of calm, financial markets have suddenly turned volatile. Prices have plunged and bounced around — all giving investors the jitters.

U.S markets showed signs of volatility on the heels of Monday's drop on Wall Street. NPR's Rachel Martin, Jim Zarroli and Scott Horsley talk about the plunge and the White House's reaction.

The sharp drop in the stock market has sparked concern about the U.S. economy. NPR's Jim Zarolli tells Rachel Martin the plunge appears to be a natural correction.

In a volatile trading session, the Dow Jones industrial average rebounded a day after posting its largest point drop in history. Investors regained their focus on a strong economy and robust profits.

The job market continues to tighten which is helping to push up wages. That in turn, is driving up consumer spending. All of that economic activity is pushing interest rates higher.

The stock market took a big dive on Friday amid growing worries about inflation. The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 666 points, or 2.54 percent. The market saw its worst weekly performance in two years.

Business owners and workers will listen to the State of the Union for clues about the policy. Trump has suggested the U.S. might rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership and delay a NAFTA decision.

An NPR/Marist survey found that 1 in 5 workers is a contractor, not a steady payroll employee. For about half of these workers, income can vary greatly from month to month, making budgeting difficult.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russian influence in U.S. elections. While his probe's details are unknown, one focus may be links between President Trump and Russian money launderers.

Stocks have been rising for years, and they are starting 2018 with another shot upward. The Dow Jones industrial average closed at about 25,000 — the fastest run to a new 1,000-point milestone ever.

Thanks to the tax overhaul, buying a home will get more expensive in some places in 2018. That's because of new restrictions on how much mortgage interest and property taxes homeowners may deduct.

Stock prices boomed this year all over the world, including the United States. It was the best year for the market since 2013. But many market-watchers say prices have probably topped off for a while.