3 h. ago China chides US over ‘serious negative impact’ of Trump tariffs as trade talks set to begin

China’s vice-premier He Lifeng will meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent in Switzerland between 9 and 12 MayChina has vowed to “safeguard international fairness and justice” in upcoming talks with the United States in Switzerland, the first meeting between the two countries to discuss trade war that has roiled the global economy since US president Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs last month.China’s vice-premier He Lifeng will meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent on the sidelines of meetings in Switzerland between 9 and 12 May. US trade representative Jamieson Greer will also attend. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago China's central bank cuts key interest rate as US tariffs threaten economy

China’s central bank has cut a key interest rate as U.S. tariffs threaten the economy

Economics

23 h. ago Barbie maker raises prices due to Trump tariffs as Ford warns of $1.5bn cost

Toy company Mattel says it will reduce imports into the US from China to below 15% by 2026Business live – latest updatesBarbie maker Mattel has said it will increase prices for some products in the US in response to Donald Trump’s tariffs while carmaker Ford said the US president’s measures would cost it about $1.5bn (£1.1bn) this year.The US represents about half of Mattel’s global toy sales, and the company imports about 20% of its goods sold in the country from China. Mattel said it would reduce imports into the US from China to below 15% by 2026. Continue reading...

Economics

24 h. ago Barbie maker Mattel to raise some US prices due to Trump tariffs

Carmaker Ford says tariffs will cost it about $1.5bn this year as toymaker says it will reduce imports from ChinaBusiness live – latest updatesBarbie maker Mattel has said it will increase prices for some products in the US as Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs bump up costs for the toymaker.The US represents about half of Mattel’s global toy sales, and the company imports about 20% of its goods sold in the country from China. Mattel said it would reduce imports into the US from China to below 15% by 2026. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Kingsmill owner confirms talks with Hovis parent company over bread takeover

Associated British Foods said its Allied Bakeries business ‘continues to face a very challenging market’ and that it is in talks with Hovis’s owner.

Politics

32 h. ago Donald Trump bans 'dangerous' virus research funding to China after Covid

Donald Trump has issued an executive order to terminate all federal funding for risky virus research in countries deemed hostile or lacking proper regulation, five years post-COVID-19, which US intelligence now believes likely originated from a lab mishap

Science

38 h. ago The Guardian view on Trump’s shock therapy: warehouse and transport workers are the first victims of a class war | Editorial

Behind the slogans and tariffs lies a calculated strategy – fuelled by elite interests, eroding labour rights and stoking global recessionThe White House, eager to win a trade war it barely understands, has yanked the emergency brake on China-US trade without checking who’s inside the vehicle. Donald Trump’s early April trade decree has taken a month to hit the economy – that’s how long Chinese containers need to reach Los Angeles. And on cue, US pacific ports registered a 45% drop in container bookings this week from China. When warehouses fall quiet and trucks idle in California, the silence will creep eastward. Unemployment will surely tick upwards.Even if Washington reverses course by the end of May, and Beijing plays nice, the best-case scenario is delayed damage. Some goods are being rerouted to avoid charges, but you can’t reboot global logistics overnight. This isn’t strategic decoupling – it’s economic self-harm. By the time the Trump administration notices, it will be too ...

Events

60 h. ago Trump is desperate to brand his opponents as communists. But why?

A 'Red Scare'-era figure influenced a young Trump

Politics

63 h. ago Trump’s tariffs guru claim that UK is ‘compliant servant of communist China’ branded ‘crazy’

Peter Navarro has launched a furious attack on Sir Keir Starmer’s relationship with China but sources close to the Trump administration have told The Independent that he is a ‘dangerous influence on the president’

Politics

3 d. ago Top Trump aide says Britain is now a 'servant of communist China' and will soon be 'sucked dry' by Beijing

Navarro is known for his hostility towards China and claims that, in the face of overwhelming US tariffs of 145 per cent against the Asian superpower, the Chinese may turn their attentions towards the UK.

Politics

3 d. ago Throngs of admirers fill an arena to get Warren Buffett's take on tariffs and Berkshire Hathaway

Thousands of Berkshire Hathaway investors have streamed into an arena hoping to hear Warren Buffett address what he thinks of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and explain why he is sitting on $347.7 billion cash

Events

4 d. ago ‘A cocktail for a misinformed world’: why China and Russia are cheering Trump’s attacks on media

Today on World Press Freedom Day, there are warnings that US attempts to withdraw from promoting independent journalism will have far-reaching effectsAs Donald Trump’s executive order in March led to the shuttering of Voice of America (VOA) – the global broadcaster whose roots date back to the fight against Nazi propaganda – he quickly attracted support from figures not used to aligning themselves with any US administration.Trump had ordered the US Agency for Global Media, the federal agency that funds VOA and other groups promoting independent journalism overseas, to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”. The decision suddenly halted programming in 49 languages to more than 425 million people. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Online retailer stuns shoppers by abruptly halting packages from China as Trump's tariff rules kick in

Bargain fast-fashion chain Temu has halted all shipments into the US from China. 

Politics

4 d. ago China says it is ‘evaluating’ US offer for talks on Trump tariffs

Beijing warns Washington that any attempt to use talks as pretext to engage in coercion and extortion won’t work

Politics

5 d. ago China says it's evaluating US overtures for trade talks, but tariffs remain an obstacle

China's Commerce Ministry says Beijing is evaluating multiple approaches by the Trump administration for trade talks

Politics

5 d. ago US robot makers hope to beat China in humanoid race. Tariffs could affect their ambitions

Tariffs weren’t on the official agenda of this week’s Robotics Summit in Boston

Politics

5 d. ago Shein’s London IPO ‘on hold’ after Trump’s crackdown on China

Shein’s London IPO ‘on hold’ after Trump’s crackdown on China  The Times

Politics

5 d. ago US has approached China seeking talks on Trump tariffs, says state social media

Development may be indication China is softening on beginning negotiations over American 145% tariffsUS politics live – latest updatesThe US has approached China seeking talks over Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs, a social media account affiliated with Chinese state media has said, potentially signalling Beijing’s openness to negotiations.“The US has proactively reached out to China through multiple channels, hoping to hold discussions on the tariff issue,” Yuyuan Tantian reported in a post published on its official Weibo social media account, citing anonymous sources. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump tariffs cause fastest slump in British factory export orders in five years – business live

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as UK manufacturers report falling export orders and China signals openness to US trade talks Fhaheen Khan, senior economist at Make UK, a lobby group for British manufacturing, said:UK manufacturers are caught in the eye of a perfect storm, with rising costs and international trade uncertainty undermining growth prospects. While actual changes in trade have been limited, the unpredictability, particularly around US tariff policy, is doing significant damage and paralysing decision makers. Many firms are delaying major investment decisions until greater clarity emerges, while being forced in the meantime to cut costs through redundancies while pushing through price increases.This has left manufacturing experiencing its most severe slowdown in years, with the UK at a competitive disadvantage compared to our European peers who are weathering current challenges relatively better. As a result, it is now vital that gover...

Politics

5 d. ago China hints at openness to trade talks with US; Tesla denies board search for Musk successor – business live

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as Chinese state-controlled social media says US has approached China for trade talksLloyds Banking Group has reported a 7% drop in pre-tax profit to £1.5bn in its first quarter, and is bracing for the ripple effect from Trump’s tariffs on its balance sheet.The high street bank said that it has set aside £309m to account for possible bad debts, compared with previous guidance of £274m, as it added a £35m net charge to prepare for the possible impact on the economic outlook from President Trump’s tariffs.The US has proactively reached out to China through multiple channels, hoping to hold discussions on the tariff issue.Yuyuan Tantian is not among China’s most authoritative state media outlets. The Global Times, which is owned by the newspaper of the governing Communist Party, People’s Daily, has often been first to report China’s next steps in trade disagreements over the past few years.Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson fo...

Politics