The request filed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit hinges largely on the meaning of the word “facilitate,” which Judge Paula Xinis and the Justice Department have disagreed on in a case with far-reaching implications.

The escalating trade war between the U.S. and China was center stage early Thursday. Potential tariff deals with other countries, including Japan, moved forward boosting market sentiment. China said it will ignore President Donald Trump’s tariff numbers game after a White House fact sheet showed Beijing faces levies of up 245% due to its retaliatory actions.