Watch: ‘A commerce battle can be in nobody’s curiosity’, warns authorities minister
Andy Gregory2 April 2025 09:55
Starmer and Reeves to face grilling at the moment
The prime minister and the chancellor will each face questions from MPs on Wednesday as the federal government prepares for Donald Trump’s main tariff announcement.
Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves will probably be grilled at PMQ’s within the Commons at noon.
We will probably be bringing you reside updates right here.
Athena Stavrou2 April 2025 09:38
European shares proceed to drop
Virtually 90 minutes into buying and selling and we’re seeing the falls proceed.
The FTSE 100 is down greater than half a per cent now and GSK’s losses have prolonged to three.6 per cent.
Nonetheless, anybody anticipating Trump’s announcement to finish the market drops is perhaps disillusioned.
“We might argue the potential is the truth is greater for the two April deadline to introduce much more uncertainty – and therefore extended broad-based weak spot in main indicators,” mentioned analysts at HSBC at the moment.
There are definitely fears of retaliatory tariffs from some nations or blocs however everyone seems to be in wait-and-see mode for now.
Karl Matchett2 April 2025 09:24
How badly may ‘Liberation Day’ have an effect on the UK
Value hikes and job losses may have a complete international financial toll of $1.4 trillion (£1.1 trillion) beneath the worst-case situation in response to Aston Enterprise Faculty.
That’s if “full international retaliation with reciprocal tariffs” is the eventual final result, which might see the US financial system specifically hit.
Fairly apart from the companies concerned, authorities spending may be impacted. Final week, Rachel Reeves famous the federal government was laying out financial savings to revive £9.9bn of headroom for presidency expenditure.
One evaluation of a worst-case situation involving Trump tariffs and the UK suggests that might be fully and instantly worn out.
Karl Matchett2 April 2025 09:19
Starmer ‘affords US tech companies tax reduce’ in last-ditch bid to dodge Trump tariffs
Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly supplied large US tech firms a significant tax break in a last-ditch bid to dodge Donald Trump’s damaging tariffs.
The prime minister is ready to decrease the speed of the federal government’s digital providers tax (DST) in a bid to win concessions from the president as a world commerce battle looms, it has emerged.
There may be reportedly a deal on the desk able to be signed, masking areas corresponding to synthetic intelligence and different future applied sciences. However The Guardian on Wednesday additionally reported the UK has supplied vital modifications to the DST.
The transfer would reportedly see Britain decrease the headline charge of the tax, in a significant increase to main American companies corresponding to Amazon, Fb proprietor Meta and Google proprietor Alphabet, whereas on the identical time making use of the levy to firms from different nations.
Athena Stavrou2 April 2025 09:08
European shares dip forward of Trump announcement
The markets in London is perhaps down this morning – 0.34 per cent for the FTSE 100, 0.2 per cent for the 250 – however the UK is faring higher than European markets at this stage.
In France the CAC 40 is down virtually half a per cent in early buying and selling and the Euronext is down 0.6 per cent.
It is in Germany although the place the largest fall may be seen, the DAX down 0.8 per cent.
Given it’s the best-performing market in Europe this yr up to now, maybe that is not an enormous shock with some profit-taking most likely included in that in addition to eradicating a little bit of threat.
Karl Matchett2 April 2025 08:55
What are tariffs and the way is Trump planning on utilizing them?
Tariffs are taxes locations on items imported from different nations.
The measures basically elevate the worth of imported good, making them much less reasonably priced for shoppers.
Donald Trump hopes this increase the US financial system by making domestically made items cheaper than imported options.
It’s unclear what the US president will announce on Wednesday, however his administration views the appliance of VAT charge as discriminating in opposition to US items and will reply with a 20 per cent tariff on imports from the UK.
Mr Trump has already introduced a 25% import tax will probably be launched on all automobiles imported to the US, a measure which will probably be a blow to the UK’s automotive trade.

Athena Stavrou2 April 2025 08:48
Asia market replace
In a single day in Asia, the markets had spent many of the day in adverse territory however rallies in a while noticed Japan’s Nikkei 225 really shut 0.28 per cent up, with the Cling Seng basically now flat.
It seems many of the investing world could be very a lot hedging bets forward of Trump’s tariffs speech, although it is price noting the one commodity which has continued to extend over the previous month is gold.
After consecutive new all time highs, nevertheless, peaking at round $3,175 yesterday, the worth of gold futures has simply pulled again barely to round $3,140.
Analysts forecast that persevering with to rise by 2025, some as excessive as $3,300.

Karl Matchett2 April 2025 08:31
FTSE100 opens decrease on ‘Liberation Day’ morning
Forward of president Trump’s bulletins at the moment, the FTSE 100 has opened barely decrease – 0.3 per cent down in instant buying and selling, with a handful of firms individually down one per cent or extra.
They embrace pharma enterprise GSK, Endeavour Mining and Rentokil, who’ve a rising enterprise Stateside.
The most important early faller is housebuilder Persimmon although, down 1.5 per cent to begin the day.
Karl Matchett2 April 2025 08:22
Remark: How my British tech agency might be a giant ‘Liberation Day’ loser
My Manchester-based enterprise making enhancing gear was hit laborious when Donald Trump launched tariffs on China – one other spherical will value me dearly, says Mark Brown.
Learn the total remark piece right here:
Athena Stavrou2 April 2025 08:17