Emergency operations to reinforce the dikes on the Dongliao River in northeast China's Liaoning Province are busy underway to prevent hidden dangers of possible leaking or even collapse after the water level on it rose above the warning line on Saturday due to incessant heavy rainfall since late July.
By 18:00 on Saturday, emergency workers mobilized by the local government repaired eight dikes with a length of 5,072 meters that are likely to leak water and reinforced dikes that are not high enough to combat floods. A new 2.5-kilometer-long dike has been built to fend off hidden risks in advance.
"We are working to strengthen patrols along the river and clear weeds on both the upper and lower sides of the dikes. We will immediately inform the authorities and take measures accordingly once we spot any weak points," said Dong Long, mayor of Sanjiangkou Township in Tieling City, Liaoning Province.
The Liaohe River basin might be battered by another round of heavy rainfall from Aug 4 to 5, according to the local meteorological authorities. Prevention efforts for flood are needed as the water levels on many rivers in the basin are likely to rise above the warning line.
The Liaohe River, flowing through Hebei Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China and Jilin and Liaoning Province in northeast China, is one of China's seven largest rivers. The Liaohe River basin is renowned for its status as a significant agricultural and industrial powerhouse.
Dike reinforcement busy underway in flood-hit northeast China's Liaoning
Dike reinforcement busy underway in flood-hit northeast China's Liaoning
Wine companies in Italy are anxious as U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," imposing a 20-percent tariff on the European Union.
Giulia D'Alema, head of a family-owned wine business in Italy's Umbria region, is facing significant uncertainty for the upcoming wine sales season following the announcement of tariffs on EU products, including wine.
Her family's 7.5-hectare vineyard has completed its major annual tasks — trimming, tying, and weeding — to ensure healthy grape growth and a fruitful harvest.
However, despite these preparations, D'Alema is troubled by the looming threat of new tariffs on Italian wines exported to the United States.
The United States is a key market for Italian wines, with exports valued at approximately 2 billion euros in 2024 alone.
Yet, the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump has put this vital export market at risk.
"If tariffs are imposed, U.S. importers won't be able to import my wine because selling my rose will no longer be profitable for them. I've already increased production specifically for this (U.S.) market, so now I have to find other ways to absorb this surplus," said D'Alema.
In the wine-producing region of Umbria in central Italy, it is the small and medium-sized wineries that are hit the hardest. Large enterprises can mitigate risks by adjusting their market strategies, but small family-owned businesses often rely on a single market. The imposition of tariffs creates a great deal of uncertainty for their operations.
In 2024, Italy's bottled wine exports to the United States reached 1.94 billion euros. According to calculations by the largest agricultural association in Italy, the Italian Confederation of Farmers (CIA), if tariffs prevent Italian wines from being exported to the United States, Italian wineries could face daily losses of 6 million U.S. dollars.
Trump's 20 pct tariffs on EU raise concerns for Italian wine export
