Ivanka Trump is the exception to dad's 'Buy American' rule

Beijing

IN HIS January inauguration speech, US President Donald Trump made a seemingly straightforward pledge: "We will follow two simple rules: buy American and hire American." His daughter is the exception: even as he spoke, at least eight shipments of Ivanka Trump-branded shoes, bags and clothes - more than 53.5 tonnes - were steaming towards American ports from China, according to US Customs bills of lading examined by AFP.

Mr Trump uses his presidential pulpit to censure manufacturers - both domestic and foreign - for using overseas labour to make goods for American consumers, but the Ivanka-branded orders have kept rolling in.