With a new round of U.S. tariffs on China set to kick in at the end of this week, pressure on trade officials is mounting to make sufficient progress in talks to allow that move to be postponed, at least. There have been signs of progress recently, but confusion remains as to how close both sides actually are to reaching a phase-one deal. A Chinese Ministry of Commerce official said the country hopes the talks can produce “satisfactory results.” Adding further impetus to Beijing’s search for a deal is the unexpected drop in the country’s exports last month, with the total to the U.S. down 23% from a year ago. (Bloomberg)

In a case slated to start this morning, a coalition of 13 states and the District of Columbia, all led by their attorneys general, will face off against T-Mobile and Sprint over their $26.5B merger. Both the DOJ and the FCC have already allowed the deal to proceed after reaching an agreement with Dish Network which will buy Sprint's prepaid businesses including Boost and Virgin Mobile. The states argue, however, that the regulators erred in their decision, stating the tie-up of the third and fourth largest wireless carrier will limit competition and lead to higher prices. (SA)

Wednesday’s Federal Reserve monetary policy decision is not expected to produce any change in policy, with last week’s blowout jobs number backing policymakers’ view that the jobs market in the U.S. remains strong.  There is no data of note for the U.S. economy today. In earnings, Toll Brothers Inc., Thor Industries Inc. and Casey’s General Stores are among the companies reporting. (FT)

With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor I am Josh Fenili.