Brexit. Parliament is due today to vote May's Plan B. British MEPs will vote on a series of amendments aimed at finding a way to exit the EU. Among these 14 amendments is the possibility of postponing the Brexit date to December 31 if the Prime Minister is unable to have the negotiated agreement with Brussels adopted by Parliament. Another amendment provides that Parliament will vote in favor of the agreement if the Northern Irish backstop is replaced by alternative measures. May is calling on the Conservative Party to vote for it. Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has proposed an amendment to prevent a no-deal Brexit and suggests a customs union agreement and a second referendum. The German Minister of Justice believes that a second referendum is increasingly likely and that postponing the Brexit date makes no sense unless May presents a very different plan B.

Back to the table. While the United States unveiled thirteen charges against Huawei Technologies on Monday, Chinese Vice Premier Lui He arrives in Washington tomorrow to resume trade negotiations. He will be received on Wednesday by Steven Mnuchin (US Treasury Secretary) and Robert Lighthizer (Trade Representative), and then by Donald Trump on Thursday. In the absence of a trade agreement between Chinese and American negotiators, US customs duties on Chinese products will be increased by March 2.

A colossal bill, but less important than in 2013. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the shutdown bill amounts to $11 billion, including $3 billion that will not be recovered: "Although most of the GDP lost during the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2019 will ultimately be recovered, the CBO estimates that about $3 billion will not be recovered. By way of comparison, the 2013 budget freeze cost the US economy $23 billion.

In other news. Donald Trump had announced the postponement of his State of Union speech once the shutdown was over. He decided yesterday to hold his speech on February 5. Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, will be heard on February 8 before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee on the investigation into Russian interference in Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. Investors will pay particular attention to tomorrow's Jerome Powell press conference.