Group 1 - The core issue is that China has not imported any U.S. crude oil for two consecutive months, resulting in the cancellation of 18 million barrels of orders, leading to over $10 billion in losses for U.S. shale oil companies [1][3] - The U.S. oil export volume has reached a five-year low due to this situation, with 40% of drilling platforms in Texas being shut down and thousands of workers losing their jobs [3][4] - The U.S. shale oil production cost has risen to $65 per barrel, while the current international oil price is only $61, indicating a loss of $4 for every barrel sold [3] Group 2 - China's refusal to purchase U.S. crude oil is supported by its strategic reserves and a significant reduction in traditional fuel demand due to the rapid development of its new energy vehicle sector [6] - Russia has expressed readiness to supply as much oil as China needs, while OPEC plans to increase oil production, further diminishing U.S. leverage in the energy market [6] - The U.S. has lost its competitive edge in various sectors, including agriculture, where imports of U.S. soybeans and other products have drastically decreased since the trade war began [9]

Group 1 - The Japanese top currency diplomat denied a media report claiming that U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin preferred a weak dollar and a strong yen during a bilateral meeting [1] - Japanese Finance Minister Aso and Mnuchin had their first face-to-face meeting during the IMF and World Bank meetings, with no discussion on exchange rate targets [1][2] - The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Japanese government is considering increasing imports of U.S. rice and soybeans as potential leverage in tariff negotiations with the Trump administration [1] Group 2 - Finance Minister Aso also denied the Yomiuri Shimbun report on social media, reiterating that there were no discussions on exchange rate targets or frameworks for managing the yen's value [2] - U.S. President Trump is focused on addressing the U.S. trade deficit and has previously accused Japan of intentionally maintaining a weak yen, which has led to market expectations that Tokyo may face pressure to strengthen the yen against the dollar [2] - Mnuchin described the meeting with Aso as "very constructive" and mentioned discussions related to exchange rate matters [2]