AFP

On a sweltering spring day, workers at a Christmas tree factory in eastern China rhythmically assembled piles of branches, wiping away sweat as they daubed white-paint snow onto plastic pine needles.Like countless other companies in the manufacturing powerhouse of Zhejiang province, its products are geared largely towards export — a sector freshly menaced by Donald …

Chinese manufacturers in fighting spirits despite scrapped US orders Read More »

President Donald Trump insisted Friday that his tariff policy was “doing really well” despite China hiking levies on US goods to 125 percent in the spiraling trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.Investors dumped US government bonds, the dollar tumbled and stocks seesawed after Beijing’s retaliation against Trump deepened concerns on already traumatized global …

Trump defends policy after China hits US with 125% tariffs Read More »

Investors dumped US government bonds, the dollar tumbled and stocks seesawed Friday, capping a volatile week as President Donald Trump’s unpredictable tariff policy rattled market confidence.Trump triggered a massive market sell-off last week by announcing universal tariffs, and this week he sparked a huge but short-lived rally by pausing higher duties against scores of countries.But …

Dollar plunges, stocks wobble over trade war turmoil Read More »

An onslaught of tariffs by the United States will send “shock waves” through African economies, the president of the African Development Bank said on Friday, warning of reduced trade and higher debt-servicing costs.The comments come as US President Donald Trump has upended global markets by pushing — and then retracting — a slew of tariffs …

African Development Bank chief warns of tariff ‘shock wave’ Read More »

India’s gems and jewellery industry is breathing a momentary sigh of relief after US President Donald Trump paused harsh tariffs that threatened to hit lucrative exports and tens of thousands of jobs.At manufacturing and processing hubs across India, exporters and buyers worried over how they would absorb Trump’s gruelling 26 percent tariff on a multi-billion …

Hope sparkles anew for India’s jewellers after US tariff pause Read More »

Smartphone buyers were cheered by shopkeepers in Jakarta on Friday after Apple’s latest smartphone went on sale following a monthslong ban in Indonesia.The marketing and sale of iPhone 16 models was prohibited by the government in October over Apple’s failure to meet regulation requiring that 40 percent of smartphone components be made from local parts.But …

Apple’s iPhone 16 hits Indonesia stores after monthslong ban Read More »

Jitters about US tariffs hammered stocks and the dollar again Friday as President Donald Trump acknowledged the costs from his rollercoaster trade offensive but predicted a “beautiful” ending.After Trump relented on many tariffs but upped the ante on China, gold rose as discombobulated investors fled to safer assets, while warning lights kept flashing in bond …

Stocks, dollar hit as Trump admits costs of ‘beautiful’ trade blitz Read More »