Business Matters

The retaliatory tit-for-tat rise in tariff rates between the US and China has been cancelled, following talks in Switzerland and the so-called "reciprocal" tariff rate of 34% is lowered to 10%. It's a ceasefire on what has become a global trade war as markets are rising again, and container ships can set sail across the Pacific. But economically, who benefits more from this short-term ceasefire—Washington or Beijing? Britain's Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has promised the government's new immigration measures will mean net migration falls "significantly" over the next four years. Keir Starmer unveiled plans to ban recruitment of care workers from overseas, tighten access to skilled worker visas and raise the costs to employers in an effort to curb near record net migration.

Join Roger Hearing ahead of this weekend's meeting in Switzerland of Chinese and American diplomats for trade talks this weekend. The stakes are high, as the outcome could reset the future of economic relations between the world’s two largest economies. Also, we hear how Chinese Auto makers, who struggle to sell vehicles in North America because of the import tariffs, are expanding rapidly in many markets around the world. And the government of Mexico is suing Google Maps over its decision to use the name "Gulf of America" instead of the longstanding "Gulf of Mexico".

Who is Pope Leo XIV? And how is he going to deal with the Vatican's finances? The US has agreed to reduce import taxes on a number of British goods - should we expect other deals on the way? The Spanish parliament is debating reducing the current workweek from 40 to 37.5 hours for over 12 million people, we hear why the Spanish business association thinks it's a bad idea. And not all of us have $200bn to give away, but Bill Gates does and he says he will. We find out why. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

The Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said America's central bank would leave its key interest rate unchanged because of tariff 'uncertainty'. We hear from Gary Schlossberg, a global strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute and a former researcher at US Treasury and Federal Reserve. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

The Indian government says it has launched strikes on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in response to last month's deadly attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir. Also, the presenter Rahul Tandon will look at the Chinese economy and find out what will happen with the trade negotiations. The Canadian Premier Mark Carney is in Washington trying to strike a deal with the US President. Carney says Donald Trump is "willing to negotiate" a new trade deal and drop the tariffs following "wide-ranging discussions" at the White House. Also, we look at the German economy after Friedrich Merz eventually elected German chancellor. And see why there are so many bets on who will be the next leader of the Catholic Church. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

OpenAI, the parent company of artificial intelligence service ChatGPT, has announced a new governance plan after a bitter power struggle over the business. US President Donald Trump has said he will hit movies made in foreign countries with 100% tariffs, as he ramps up trade disputes with nations around the world. The European Union has announced a five-hundred-and-sixty-million-dollar fund to attract foreign scientists. How will it work? Also, Rahul Tandon will find out why Met Gala event is so important for many investors. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Voters are going to the polls in Australia to choose their next government following a hard-fought campaign during which living costs, climate concerns and the impact of Donald Trump's trade tariffs have featured strongly. Shares of Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, tumbled by as much as 8% on Friday morning after it announced that it has delayed the launch by a year – to May 26, 2026. With the company being valued at around 40 billion US dollars, that is a lot of money being shaved off. The U.S. President Donald Trump repeated that he will revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status, saying that "We are going to be taking away Harvard's tax-exempt status. It's what they deserve!" Harvard, which is already suing the Trump administration, said that this is unlawful. And Skype Will Shut Down on Monday, May 5, As Microsoft Shifts to Teams. Davina Gupta will hear from one of the creators of the Skype ringtone. Throughout the programme, we’ll be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent who is in Australia, and Diane Brady, Executive Director of Fortune Live Media and Editorial Director of the Fortune CEO Initiative.

President Trump has sacked Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. The US and Ukraine signed a minerals deal which President Zelensky says is an "equal partnership". As trade wars continue, we explore how businesses of all sizes are surviving. Will tariffs dominate Apple and Amazon's earnings? And how are small businesses staying afloat? Plus, why have Australian wine exports hit a record low? Andrew Peach speaks to a wine maker in Melbourne.

On the programme we are looking at Donald Trump's first 100 days in power, during which he has talked a lot about tariffs, and there have been many changes to trade policies. Rahul Tandon looks at the key important economic events of the initial 100 days and the way they have upended global trade. Also, Mark Carney is celebrating his election victory in Canada, although Canadian broadcaster CBC projects his party will fall just short of the 172 parliamentary seats needed for a majority. Throughout the programme, we’ll be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Senior Asia correspondent for Bloomberg, and Tony Nash, CEO of Complete Intelligence.

Canadians are voting in a general election which has been dominated by Donald Trump's trade war and threats to annex the country. The leaders of the two main parties rejected a renewed assertion by Mr Trump on election day that Canada should become the fifty-first US state. Devina Gupta hears from the BBC’s economics editor Faisal Islam, who is in Ottawa, and Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses. And the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has urged people not to speculate over the cause of a massive power cut that's affected millions of people across Spain and Portugal. Also, the Chinese online retailer Temu, known for its cheap products, adds ‘import charges’ of about 145% in response to President Trump’s tariffs on China. Throughout the programme, we’ll be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Jessica Khine, a business development consultant based in Malaysia but now joining us from London, and Sergio Guzmán, director of the Colombia Risk Analysis company.

A new survey by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research has revealed that consumer confidence in the United States has seen its largest drop since 1990. While the Governor of Mississippi believes rising tariffs will lead to more capital investment, we hear from a retail business in Indiana on the impact of the ongoing trade war. Rahul Tandon speaks to prominent Canadian automotive figure Flavio Volpe on the state of the country's economy ahead of Monday's general election. And a Californian government figure discusses how the state has overtaken Japan to become the fourth largest global economic force behind Germany, China and the US as a whole.

China has said no to any trade talks until the US withdraws its tariffs, but which of the World's two superpowers will blink first and bring the growing trade war to an end? Rahul Tandon speaks to the President of the American Toy Association on how children's Christmas presents, including Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels cars and Jellycats toys, could fall victim to the US-China trade war. Meanwhile, how will the higher education sector in the US be affected by the fall out? We enter the World of the ‘workfluencers’, where the personal meets the professional, and how corporations are increasingly putting employees in front of the camera in order to humanise the working environment. Elsewhere, as the situation in Kashmir develops and Pakistan suspends all trade with India, we find out about the growing tension between the two countries. And there's concern for the survival of Africa's shea nut tree which provides an income for millions of women. Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

With China open to talks and the US Treasury secretary hinting at a deal, Rahul Tandon talks to economists and trade specialists about the likelihood of a thaw in relations. And we look ahead to the Australian elections.

President Trump says tariffs on China “will not be anywhere near 145%” but won’t be removed all together. It follows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying he expected a ‘de escalation’ in US China tariffs. The International Monetary Fund has revised its global growth forecast in the wake of Trump’s tariffs, with the US expected to be hit hardest. And the boardgames industry is suffering the consequences of tariffs. A number of companies have launched a legal case against the Trump administration. Among them is Stonemaier Games, we speak to their President.

Argentinians in the capital, Buenos Aires, paid tribute to Pope Francis during a mass held at the San Jose de Flores Basilica. The US Vice President JD Vance has met with India's prime minister Narendra Modi to discuss a trade deal. And the United Nations says, the cyberscam industry is expanding globally including to South America and Africa. We hear from International Justice Mission which has been campaigning to help the people forced to working at these scam centres.

Tension has grown between President Trump and head of the Federal Reserve. Jerome Powell has faced fierce criticism from Donald Trump, who's accused him of being too slow to cut interest rates. We speak to Chinese manufacturers about the impact of tariffs on their business. And a host of new Star Wars films and TV shows have been announced. Ryan Gosling, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, will take the lead.

The American President Donald Trump has criticised Jerome Powell after the Chair of the US Federal Reserve stated that tariffs are likely to push up inflation and unemployment, while President Trump says he's "one-hundred per cent sure" of a US-EU trade deal. We hear from the CEO of the Port of Long Beach - the busiest port in the US - on how they're already feeling the effects of US-China tariffs. Elsewhere the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has warned that economic growth will suffer due to global trade uncertainty being "off the charts". And Rahul Tandon speaks to a former Netflix director after the streaming service reported quarterly profits of $2.9bn. Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Key figures in the global economy have been speaking about the potential impact of a trade war between the World's two largest economies, initiated by President Donald Trump's tariffs. The World Trade Organisation is forecasting that global trade will fall this year, and its director general, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, warned that a trade war between the US and China could affect all countries worldwide. Rahul Tandon finds out how Chinese manufacturers are concerned about tariffs, and speaks to an aviation specialist about why a bathroom problem is set to cost Boeing millions of dollars. And we hear how the remote Pacific island nation of Tuvalu celebrated the unveiling of its first cash machine.

Sam Fenwick is joined by Erin Mc Laughlin, senior economist at the Conference Board in New York and Simon Littlewood, a business consultant based in Singapore. Two years into a civil war, Sudan is home to the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The International Red Cross is urging all sides to stop attacks on civilian infrastructure. We hear about Chinese president Xi Jinping's tour around Southeast Asia and what Malaysia stands to gain from new trade deals with China. Also in the programme, why are Chinese influencers going viral on TikTok over tariffs?

Sam Fenwick is joined by Emily Feng, International correspondent for NPR in Washington DC and Peter Landers, Asia Business and Finance Editor at Wall Street Journal in Singapore. China's president declared their will be no winners in the trade war as he tours Southeast Asia, aiming to strengthen ties with neighbouring nations. We hear how tariffs are shaping US consumer confidence and leading to potential drug shortages. Also in the programme, how do University Spin-Out Businesses boost the economy?