Trade war will affect re-election

[Ta Kung Pao News] According to the "Wall Street Journal" report: According to informed sources, after U.S. President Trump announced on August 23 that tariffs on Chinese goods worth US$550 billion would be raised by 5% from October 1, Sheldon Adelson, owner of Las Vegas Sands Group and a major Republican financier, called Trump to warn that the trade war would have an impact on the U.S. economy and his re-election campaign.

It is reported that Anderson went to the White House in person as early as August 20 and told Trump face to face that his tariff policy was dragging down the U.S. economy. Since then, the Sino-US trade war has further escalated. China has stated that it will impose additional tariffs ranging from 10% to 5% on approximately US$75 billion (approximately HK$585 billion) of US goods from September 1. Trump also angrily stated that he would increase tariffs on Chinese goods. Anderson then called Trump again to warn him.

Representatives who handle political donations for Anderson are also putting pressure on Trump's re-election campaign office. In the 2018 midterm elections, Anderson donated a total of US$123 million (approximately HK$960 million) to Republican candidates and party groups, making him the most generous Republican donor.

Anderson’s Sands Group has been operating in Macau casinos since 2002. In 2018, Macau casinos’ revenue reached US$9 billion, accounting for 63% of the entire Sands Group’s revenue. The group’s practice license in Macau will expire in 2022, and the Macau government will need to decide whether to renew it.