China has warned Donald Trump to “stop whining” about being a victim of tariffs in the escalating trade war between the two nations.
It comes as the president claims the U.S is “taking in RECORD NUMBERS in Tariffs,” which was helping fight inflation, after he raised import duties on nearly all trading partners.
However, it is Beijing that is facing the most stringent measures. The U.S, which raised duties on Chinese products to 145 percent, has tightened export rules, with computer chip manufacturing giant Nvidia among those affected.
A fact sheet published by the White House on Tuesday said that China “now faces up to a 245 percent tariff”, and China’s foreign ministry urged reporters to question the Trump administration over the figure.
Beijing, which raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 125 percent, has reportedly told airlines to halt ordering Boeing jets and other U.S aircraft parts. In an editorial on Wednesday, state media outlet China Daily said the U.S. “should stop whining about itself being a victim in global trade.”
Wall Street ended the day sharply lower on the Nvidia news, and as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated that U.S. economic growth appears to be slowing.
Key Points
- China urges U.S. to 'stop threatening and blackmailing' over apparent 245% tariff threat
- Trump admin sues Maine over participation of transgender athletes in girls sports
- Nvidia to take $5.5 billion hit as U.S. restricts sales to China
- U.S 'should stop whining' over trade: Chinese media
Trump says 'Big Progress!' in meeting with Japanese trade delegation
Wednesday 16 April 2025 22:49 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump posted the following on Truth Social just now:
A Great Honor to have just met with the Japanese Delegation on Trade. Big Progress!
Trump claims the cost of gas and groceries has gone down. Have they?
Wednesday 16 April 2025 22:40 , Oliver O'ConnellPresident Donald Trump claims he’s driving down the cost of everyday goods such as groceries and gasoline with his policies but data from the consumer price index indicates only some products are getting cheaper.
The average prices of gasoline, bread and tomatoes have gone down since Trump took office in January but the cost of other goods such as eggs and beef have risen. Those numbers, reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, also have not reflected the impact of tariffs.
But that hasn’t stopped the president from touting confidence about consumer prices, as Ariana Baio reports.
Trump claims the cost of gas and groceries has gone down. Have they?
California becomes the first state to sue Trump over his tariff plan
Wednesday 16 April 2025 22:30 , Oliver O'ConnellCalifornia has become the first state in the nation to sue Donald Trump over his “reckless and unprecedented” tariff plan, which is projected to wipe billions off the U.S. economy.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, argues that as a “global leader in trade,” the Golden State will bear “an inordinate share” of the costs that result from the sweeping levies.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Gavin Newsom’s California becomes the first state to sue Trump over his tariff plan
Scramble underway to stop Trump tariffs hitting Britain’s pharmaceutical industry
Wednesday 16 April 2025 22:20 , Oliver O'ConnellPharmaceutical bosses and the government are racing to stop Donald Trump from slapping tariffs on medicines in a move that would significantly impact Britain’s multibillion-pound industry.
The US president has warned he will impose a 25 per cent levy on foreign drugs, which would devastate UK giants GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca.
America is by far the largest market for the firms, making up 40 per cent of AstraZeneca’s revenue, worth more than £20bn.
Archie Mitchell reports from London.
Scramble underway to stop Trump tariffs hitting Britain’s pharmaceutical industry
Wall Street ended sharply lower on chip export restrictions and Fed chair remarks
Wednesday 16 April 2025 22:13 , Oliver O'ConnellWall Street ended sharply lower on Wednesday as Nvidia warned about steep charges from new U.S. restrictions on its chip exports to China and as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated that U.S. economic growth appears to be slowing.
Powell, in remarks for the Economic Club of Chicago, mentioned that larger-than-expected tariffs likely indicate higher inflation and slower growth. However, he pointed out that the U.S. economy is still in a solid position and that the Fed is awaiting greater clarity before considering policy changes.
Stocks added to declines from earlier in the day following Powell's comments, with Nvidia and other chipmaker stocks among the biggest decliners.
Nvidia announced late on Tuesday that it would take $5.5 billion in charges after the U.S. government restricted exports of its H20 artificial-intelligence chip to China, a key market for one of its most popular chips.
According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 lost 120.84 points, or 2.24%, to end at 5,275.79 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 513.57 points, or 3.05%, to 16,309.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 695.17 points, or 1.72%, to 39,673.79.
With reporting from Reuters
IRS planning to rescind Harvard's tax-exempt status, report says
Wednesday 16 April 2025 22:10 , Oliver O'ConnellThe Internal Revenue Service is planning to rescind the tax-exempt status of Harvard University, CNN reports, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
A final decision on rescinding the university's tax exemption is expected soon, the network added.
The report comes a day after President Donald Trump threatened to strip the university of its tax-exempt status and stated that Harvard should apologize after the school rejected what it called unlawful demands to overhaul academic programs or lose federal grants.
Musk claims to be ‘No. 2 after Trump for assassination’
Wednesday 16 April 2025 22:05 , Oliver O'ConnellElon Musk claimed that he was “#2 after Trump for assassination,” in text messages to a former partner who claims to be the mother of one of his children.
The tech billionaire told Ashley St Clair in a text, seen by the Wall Street Journal, that “only the paranoid survive,” citing it as a reason to keep his name off her baby’s birth certificate.
St Clair told the outlet that she had been ordered not to put Musk’s name on the official document, and warned not to hire an attorney by Musk’s longtime fixer, Jared Birchall.
Mike Bedigan reports.
White House says Abrego Garcia will never set foot in U.S. again
Wednesday 16 April 2025 21:58 , Oliver O'ConnellAt today’s short-notice White House briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says of the wrongly deported father, Kilmar Abrego Garcia: “Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien, MS-13 gang member and foreign terrorist who was deported back to his own country… Abrego Garcia will never be a Maryland father. He will never set foot in the United States again.”
Leavitt: Nothing will change the fact that Garcia will never be a Maryland father… The supreme court ruled unanimously that the president of the United States and secretary of state cannot be compelled to forcibly retrieve this citizen of El Salvador pic.twitter.com/ARR48bpLOT
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 16, 2025
Why RFK is contradicting his own department with autism investigation
Wednesday 16 April 2025 21:40 , Josh MarcusRobert F. Kennedy Jr sits atop a government agency that spends $45 billion a year on medical research. The best scientists in the world, with access to the most technologically advanced equipment and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, are at his disposal.
But with confidence that only a Kennedy heir could muster, the health secretary dismissed the findings of those scientists Wednesday, instead announcing his intention to find the real truth behind what he described as an “epidemic” of autism.
"One of the things that I think we need to move away from today is this ideology that … the relentless increases are simply artifacts of better diagnoses, better recognition, or changing diagnostic criteria,” he said at a press conference, which he called to deliver his own unique interpretation of an autism study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
“This epidemic denial has become a feature in the mainstream media. And it's based on an industry canard,” he continued.
One man’s canard is another’s body of scientific evidence, because that was precisely the explanation given in the report from his own department. It noted that the likely cause for a rise in the number of children being diagnosed with autism — from one in 36 Americans under the age of 8 in 2020, to one in 31 in 2022 — was the better availability of diagnoses.
Read our full story for more context.
RFK Jr plays medical detective as he contradicts his own department on autism
WATCH: White House briefs media amid Harvard funding row and tariff fallout
Wednesday 16 April 2025 21:23 , Josh MarcusAbrego Garcia: CNN anchor shouts down GOP rep for accusing her of ‘false reporting’
Wednesday 16 April 2025 21:20 , Oliver O'ConnellCNN anchor Pamela Brown shut down a Republican congressman who accused her of “false reporting” about the Supreme Court ruling that the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of an illegally deported Maryland man, calling him out for trying to “create a moment” that would get him plaudits from the White House.
“Let me finish my sentence!” Brown shouted at one point.
Justin Baragona has the story.
CNN anchor shouts down GOP rep for accusing her of ‘false reporting’ on Abrego Garcia
Powell says Fed can wait on any interest rate moves
Wednesday 16 April 2025 21:00 , APThe Federal Reserve can stay patient and wait to see how tariffs and other economic policies of the Trump administration play out before making any changes to interest rates, Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday.
“For the time being, we are well-positioned to wait for greater clarity” on the impact of policy changes in areas such as immigration, taxation, regulation, and tariffs, Powell said.
Continue reading...
Powell says Federal Reserve can wait on any interest rate moves
Concern in U.K. over risks to children if PM agrees to U.S. demands for trade deal
Wednesday 16 April 2025 20:40 , Oliver O'ConnellBritish Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that giving in to U.S. demands over free speech to secure a trade deal will harm children.
The concerns have been raised after allies of vice-president JD Vance told The Independent that he wants the UK to repeal hate speech laws and ditch plans for a new online safety law in exchange for a trade deal that could see the UK avoid tariffs.
He has previously claimed that free speech is being undermined by laws banning hateful comments, including abuse targeting LGBT+ groups or other minorities, and sees UK legislation aimed at improving online safety as an attack on U.S. tech giants.
David Maddox and Harriette Boucher report from London.
Starmer warned children will be at risk if he agrees US free speech demands
Powell says Trump tariffs even larger than Fed's upside estimates
Wednesday 16 April 2025 20:25 , ReutersThe tariffs rolled out by President Donald Trump were larger than even the highest estimates prepared by the Federal Reserve ahead of time, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday.
“The tariffs are larger than forecasters had expected, certainly larger than we expected, even in our upside case,” Powell said in response to a question at an event at the Economic Club of Chicago.
As she draws massive crowds with Bernie Sanders, AOC hauls in staggering $9.6m in just three months
Wednesday 16 April 2025 20:20 , Oliver O'ConnellNew York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised $9.6 million during the first three months of this year in a stunning fundraising haul.
The amount is more than double that of her second-highest quarter and comes as progressives call on her to challenge New York Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate leader, in the 2028 primary.
Gustaf Kilander takes a look at the numbers.
AOC hauls in $9.6m in just three months as she draws massive crowds with Bernie
China to blast US for bullying, trade war at UN
Wednesday 16 April 2025 20:06 , ReutersChina will next week convene an informal United Nations Security Council meeting to accuse the United States of bullying and “casting a shadow over the global efforts for peace and development” by weaponizing tariffs.
The move comes as Beijing pursues a hardline stance in an escalating trade war with Washington triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's steep tariffs on items imported from China.
“All countries, particularly developing nations, are victims of unilateralism and bullying practices,” read the concept note for the informal U.N. meeting on “the impact of unilateralism and bullying practices on international relations.”
The note, inviting all 193 U.N. member states to attend the April 23 meeting, specifically criticizes the United States for imposing tariffs.
“By weaponizing tariffs as a tool of extreme pressure, the U.S. has gravely violated international trade rules, and triggered severe shocks and turbulence in the world economy and multilateral trading system, casting a shadow over the global efforts for peace and development,” read the concept note.
The U.S. mission to the United Nations referred a request for comment on China's planned meeting to the State Department, which did not immediately respond.
The U.N. Trade and Development agency said on Wednesday that global economic growth could slow to 2.3% as trade tensions and uncertainty drive a recessionary trend.
New survey reveals shocking extent to which American conservatives distrust science
Wednesday 16 April 2025 20:00 , Oliver O'ConnellNew research by social psychologists at the University of Amsterdam, published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, shows that America's conservatives distrust science to a far greater extent than previously understood.
The academics asked 7,800 Americans their opinions on 35 different scientific professions and examined their answers based on whether they identified as conservative or liberal.
They found that members of the public who described themselves as right-leaning were overwhelmingly more likely to distrust scientists, particularly those whose work in fields such as climate may not align with their political ideology.
Joe Sommerlad looks at the findings.
Shocking extent to which American conservatives distrust science revealed in new poll
Van Hollen denied chance to visit of speak with Abrego Garcia
Wednesday 16 April 2025 19:54 , Alex WoodwardSenator Chris Van Hollen said he asked El Salvador’s vice president if he could meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, “and he said you need to make earlier provisions to go visit CECOT.”
“I said I’m not interested in this moment of taking a tour of CECOT, I just want to meet Mr. Abrego Garcia. He said he was not able to make that happen,” Van Hollen said from San Salvador.
He couldn’t promise a visit next week either, he said.
“So I asked if I could get on the phone, either video phone or just a phone, and talk with Mr. Abrego Garcia.”
He was also denied that, he said.
Asked if his family or wife could speak with him, “he said he was not sure whether he could make that happen.”
“We have an unjust situation here,” Van Hollen said.
A reporter also asked him if he thinks he’s still alive.
He said he doesn’t know his health status, which is why he’s trying to meet with him.
Watch: Powell says Fed will never be influenced by political pressure
Wednesday 16 April 2025 19:52 , Oliver O'ConnellFed Chair Powell on independence: "We're never going to be influenced by any political pressure. People can say whatever they want. That's fine. That's not a problem, but we will do what we do strictly without consideration of political or any other extraneous factors." pic.twitter.com/AYH7G7wYnF
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 16, 2025
'Special guest' at newly announced White House briefing
Wednesday 16 April 2025 19:45 , Oliver O'ConnellStay tuned...
NEW: the White House has added a 4:30 pm briefing with @PressSec and a “special guest” pic.twitter.com/ueEhLsDBfP
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) April 16, 2025
Van Hollen says El Salvador government has no evidence Abrego Garcia is part of MS-13
Wednesday 16 April 2025 19:45 , Alex WoodwardSenator Van Hollen was live from El Salvador after being denied a visit with Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
He said that the Trump administration is “lying when they say he has been charged with a crime or is part of MS-13. That is a lie.”
“And this is a life to cover up what they did. … They illegally abducted Mr. Abrego Garcia from Maryland and sent him to CECOT.”
He asked El Salvador’s vice president whether or not El Salvador has any evidence that he’s part of MS-13 or has committed a crime.
“The government of El Salvador has no evidence he is part of MS-13. Why is El Salvador continuing to hold him in CECOT?” he said. “And his answer was the Trump administration is paying El Salvador, the government of El Salvador, to keep him in CECOT.”
Zuckerberg reportedly cozied up to Trump so he could settle Meta's FTC lawsuit for fraction of total
Wednesday 16 April 2025 19:40 , Oliver O'ConnellMark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, reportedly hoped to avoid an antitrust lawsuit trial by offering to settle with the Federal Trade Commission for $450 million rather than $30 billion, and wanted his ally, President Donald Trump, to help.
In March, the Facebook founder called the head of the FTC to see if he could work out a deal to avoid a trial over what the FTC alleges was a breach of antitrust laws when it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Zuckerberg reportedly offered $450 million, though the FTC wanted $30 billion.
Ariana Baio has the details.
Zuckerberg cozied up to Trump to settle his FTC lawsuit for less: report
'Smug, self-assured bulls***': JD Vance rants online about deportation critics
Wednesday 16 April 2025 19:33 , Oliver O'ConnellVice President JD Vance has lashed out on X at critics of the Trump administration’s mass deportation plan.
After journalist Jesse Singal accused him of having “mortgaged his morality and his legacy” for “joining the Trump bandwagon,” Vance said: “I hate this smug, self-assured bulls***.”
Vance parodied arguments against him as: “’I know I'm right, and people must be dumb or immoral to disagree with me.’”
The vice president continued: “It's an easy way to go through life, because then you never have to think seriously about why your worldview is a justification for the mass invasion of the country my ancestors built with their bare hands.”
He continued in a separate tweet:
None of these people can articulate a deportation standard that:
1) would satisfy left-wing critics of the administration's immigration policy;
2) would satisfy their intuitions about what "due process" is required;
3) would be workable given resource constraints; and
4) would permit deportation of most of the illegal immigrants allowed under Joe Biden's administration.
They want to nullify the results of a democratic election. It's that simple.
Here are the posts:
None of these people can articulate a deportation standard that:
— JD Vance (@JDVance) April 16, 2025
1) would satisfy left-wing critics of the administration's immigration policy;
2) would satisfy their intuitions about what "due process" is required;
3) would be workable given resource constraints; and
4) would…
Texas Democrat pleads guilty to posting fake racist comments in order to garner sympathy
Wednesday 16 April 2025 19:20 , Oliver O'ConnellA former Democratic political candidate from Texas has pleaded guilty after being accused of using fake social media accounts to hurl racist abuse at himself and his boss to gain voter sympathy in their respective races.
Taral Patel, 31, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of misrepresentation of identity by a candidate, according to the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office. He agreed to a two-year probation and to complete 200 community service hours.
James Liddell has the story.
Texas Democrat pleads guilty to posting fake racist comments to garner sympathy
Watch: The Independent's Eric Garcia grills RFK Jr about claims of autism 'epidemic'
Wednesday 16 April 2025 19:07 , Oliver O'ConnellBiden condemned Trump’s Social Security cuts but what are the president’s plans?
Wednesday 16 April 2025 19:00 , Oliver O'ConnellEven as President Donald Trump has claimed there will be no cuts to Social Security payments, there are widespread fears among recipients and Democrats that the retirement and disability program will be slashed.
More than 70 million people receive benefits via the Social Security Administration (SSA), with more than 20 percent of the federal budget for the 2024 fiscal year being spent on the program, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found.
The agency is being scrutinized by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, who claims that his team has found billions of dollars worth of waste and fraud in the federal government. He has frequently made the assertion that dead people are receiving Social Security benefits.
In his first major speech since leaving the White House, former President Joe Biden slammed the Trump administration’s efforts to cut down the SSA on Tuesday night.
Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, D.C.
What is happening to Social Security under Trump as Biden condemns president’s plans
Trump officials blocking court testimony from Social Security head over program’s ‘death list’
Wednesday 16 April 2025 18:40 , Oliver O'ConnellThe acting head of the Social Security Administration rebuffed a federal judge’s request to appear at a hearing to “clarify” reports alleging that the Trump administration is placing thousands of immigrants on the agency’s “death master file” to harass them out of the country.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander heard arguments on Tuesday over whether to extend her temporary restraining order blocking the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from obtaining access to identifying records at the Social Security Administration. The order is set to expire on Thursday.
Kelly Rissman has the details.
Trump officials blocking court testimony from Social Security head over ‘death list’
Angry voters ask Senator Grassley if they can ignore court orders like Trump
Wednesday 16 April 2025 18:20 , Oliver O'ConnellAngry voters pelted Iowa’s Republican Senator Chuck Grassley Tuesday with complaints and questions about the Trump administration’s apparent defiance of an order from the Supreme Court.
“If I get a court order to pay $1,200, can I just say no? Because he [Trump] just got an order from the Supreme Court and he just said NO!” said a very perturbed gentleman in the crowd of about 100 at a packed town hall meeting in Fort Madison, Iowa.
Mary Papenfuss has the story.
Listen to voters ask Sen. Grassley if they can ignore court orders like Trump
Watch: RFK Jr claims autistic children will never go on dates or pay taxes
Wednesday 16 April 2025 18:19 , Oliver O'Connell
RFK Jr claims autistic children will never go on dates or pay taxes
Stefanik considering bid to be New York governor, report says
Wednesday 16 April 2025 18:00 , Oliver O'ConnellRepublican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is exploring a bid for governor of New York, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
One of the sources said that Stefanik is seriously considering a run after receiving encouragement from people in New York, members of the Trump world, and Republican donors.
Stefanik was recently given a new leadership role in the House after President Donald Trump withdrew her nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and asked her to stay in Congress instead. The party is. concerned about its narrow majority in the lower chamber.
Stefanik has $10 million cash on hand, according to campaign finance filings, and has previously outrun Trump in her district.
Fellow New York Republican lawmaker Mike Lawler is also considering a gubernatorial bid.
New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul is up for reelection in 2026.
Perhaps an indication of support, earlier today, the president posted on Truth Social: “Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!”
Jesse Watters: ‘Everyone knows’ wearing a Chicago Bulls hat ‘means you’re MS-13’
Wednesday 16 April 2025 17:50 , Oliver O'ConnellFox News star Jesse Watters backed the Trump administration’s claim that an illegally deported Maryland man is a dangerous terrorist, arguing on Tuesday night that Kilmar Abrego Garcia wearing a Chicago Bulls hat “means you’re MS-13” and you “hang around with high-ranking gangsters.”
Justin Baragona has the story.
Jesse Watters says ‘everyone knows’ that wearing a Bulls hat ‘means you’re MS-13’
Full story: Trump officials face criminal contempt after defying judge’s orders in Alien Enemies Act case
Wednesday 16 April 2025 17:40 , Oliver O'ConnellDonald Trump’s administration could be held in criminal contempt after ignoring a federal judge’s court orders to turn planes around carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members deported to a brutal Salvadoran prison under the president’s use of a wartime law.
In a ruling on Wednesday, Judge James Boasberg said the government’s failure to return those flights to the United States demonstrates “a willful disregard” that is “sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt.”
“The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions,” he wrote. “None of their responses has been satisfactory.”
Alex Woodward has been following the case for The Independent.
Trump officials face criminal contempt after defying judge’s orders
Fort Benning takes back its old name, but no longer honors Confederate general
Wednesday 16 April 2025 17:30 , APThe Army is restoring the name Fort Benning to its storied training post in Georgia, only this time to honor an 18-year-old corporal who fought in World War I rather than a Confederate general.
A ceremony to make the name change official was scheduled for Wednesday at the base just outside Columbus.
Continue reading...
Fort Benning takes back its old name, but to honor a different soldier
Nvidia hit with $5.5bn charge after promising half a trillion US investment - has Trump got what he wanted?
Wednesday 16 April 2025 17:15 , Oliver O'ConnellNvidia has become the latest company to be impacted by the fallout of president Trump’s constant alterations to the trade scene, with the chipmaker announcing a $5.5bn (£4.1bn) charge related to export controls to China.
One of the world’s most valuable companies by market capitalisation, Nvidia’s share price has suffered a dramatic fall in 2025, touching around $150 in the first week of the year before sinking to below $100 in the immediate aftermath of Trump’s initial tariff announcement.
While the share price has since clawed back some ground, closing above $112 in Tuesday’s market, evening news of the latest hit - and announcing licences being required for some further exports - sent it falling more than five per cent once more in pre-trading, leaving Nvidia approaching 20 per cent down year to date again and wiping $150bn from its market cap.
Yet all this comes after the promise of US-based investment to the tune of half a trillion dollars - and they’re not the only ones to do so. Which prompts the question: is the Trump administration getting what it wanted?
Karl Matchett reports for The Independent.
Nvidia faces $5bn charge despite $500bn US investment - has Trump got what he wanted?
Judge finds 'probable cause' to hold Trump administration in contempt over Venezuelan migrant flights
Wednesday 16 April 2025 17:14 , Oliver O'ConnellJudge James Boasberg has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for ignoring his orders to turn planes around in the Alien Enemies Act case that saw Venezuelan deportees flown to El Salvador.
The administration must either fix their mistake by April 23 or submit a filing “identifying the individual(s) who, with knowledge of the Court’s classwide Temporary Restraining Order, made the decision not to halt the transfer of class members out of U.S. custody on March 15 and 16, 2025.”
Boasberg further writes: “The Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt.”
Here’s our earlier reporting on the case:
Supreme Court sides with Trump over Alien Enemies Act deportations
EDITORIAL: The US needs to understand that truth and trade are not interchangeable
Wednesday 16 April 2025 17:00 , The IndependentWhen negotiating a trade deal in normal circumstances, governments tend to concentrate on what might be termed, sometimes literally, “bread and butter issues”.
Tariffs, quotas, regulations… these are the matters that occupy the negotiators for months, if not years – as the Brexit process rather painfully proves. In the case of the current trade talks between the UK and the US, these are not proceeding in the usual manner.
The putative components of an ambitious transatlantic agreement have been kicked around, on and off, for some years, albeit with limited success. Only now, with the second coming of Donald Trump, has Britain been asked to exchange truth for trade. Yet that is, in effect, what the Trump administration will require of Sir Keir Starmer if he is to achieve what has eluded all of his predecessors since the Brexit vote in 2016.
As The Independent exclusively reveals, for the first time in such trade talks, Britain will be asked to adopt a political, indeed “Trumpian” view of the world quite at odds with its traditions and its democratically approved laws.
Read on...
The US needs to understand that truth and trade are not interchangeable
Maryland senator arrives in El Salvador to try and return wrongly-deported man
Wednesday 16 April 2025 16:44 , Oliver O'ConnellMaryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen is now in El Salvador to meet with U.S. embassy officials in the country's capital to discuss Kilmar Abrego Garcia's release from the country’s notorious prison.
Van Hollen hopes to meet with Salvadoran officials and Abrego Garcia himself on this trip.
I just landed in San Salvador a little while ago, and I look forward to meeting with the team at the U.S. embassy to discuss the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia.
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) April 16, 2025
I also hope to meet with Salvadoran officials and with Kilmar himself. He was illegally abducted and needs to come home. pic.twitter.com/MzKe7U8Wwr
The Trump administration is unamused by the senator’s efforts, maintaining, without evidence, that Abrego Garcia is a gang member and human trafficker.
Chris and his bedwetting friends have shown more concern and sympathy for an illegal MS-13 gang member than victims of horrific migrant crimes. He is a complete disgrace to his office and should be thoroughly shamed for his disgusting actions. https://t.co/ClcUYAccgN
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) April 16, 2025
Senator Van Hollen has done more to bring a MS-13 gang member, human trafficker and illegal alien back to Maryland than he has to help keep his American constituents safe or advocate for the victims of these vicious gangs like MS-13. ⁰⁰While Senator Van Hollen and the… https://t.co/nZacQJAFzW
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) April 16, 2025
One of UK's largest company sees shares hit hard by Trump tariffs
Wednesday 16 April 2025 16:40 , Oliver O'ConnellOne of the UK’s largest public listed companies has seen its share price sink by 25 per cent on Wednesday, after reporting a lower annual forecast for 2025 and warning over the “uncertainty” caused by Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Bunzl is a distributor business which supplies other companies around the world with essential everyday goods such as food packaging and labels for supermarkets, catering equipment for restaurants, and masks, gloves and gowns for hospitals.
Having held a market capitalisation in excess of £10bn, the share price crash of the FTSE 100 company has seen more than £2bn wiped off that total in hours after CEO Frank van Zanten cited a “challenging trading environment”.
Karl Matchett reports from London.
One of UK’s largest companies sees £2bn wiped off shares through Trump tariffs impact
Watch: Duffy suggests federal money may be pulled from California high speed rail
Wednesday 16 April 2025 16:36 , Oliver O'Connell"Private sector money is what should make these investments" -- Duffy on Fox indicates the federal government is likely to pull funding for a high-speed rail project in California pic.twitter.com/nUkrHCAk27
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 16, 2025
Full story: WTO says global trade could slide this year because of Trump's tariff policies
Wednesday 16 April 2025 16:20 , Oliver O'ConnellThe World Trade Organization says the volume of trade in goods worldwide is likely to decrease by 0.2% this year due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s shifting tariff policies and a standoff with China, but it would take a more severe hit if Trump carries through on his toughest “reciprocal” tariffs.
The decline in trade will be particularly steep in North America even without the stiffest tariffs, the global trade forum said Wednesday, with exports there this year expected to fall by 12.6% and imports by 9.6%.
Read on...
World Trade Organization says global trade could slide this year because of Trump's tariff policies
Inside Musk’s plan to make a ‘legion’ of babies and get to Mars to save civilization — while paying moms to keep quiet
Wednesday 16 April 2025 16:09 , Oliver O'ConnellElon Musk has a plan to populate the world with more babies of “high intelligence” — and it’s all part of his wider mission to one day occupy Mars to save civilization.
That is according to an explosive report by the Wall Street Journal about the world’s richest man and how MAGA influencer Ashley St Clair found herself caught up in his “harem drama.”
St Clair, 26, went public with her claims that she and Musk share a child in February. Now she has claimed that the billionaire offered her a one-time payment of $15 million, plus $100,000 a month until her child turns 21, in exchange for her silence.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Inside Musk’s plan to make a ‘legion’ of babies and get to Mars to save civilization
Watch LIVE: RFK Jr reveals CDC findings after vowing to uncover cause of autism 'by September'
Wednesday 16 April 2025 15:59 , Oliver O'ConnellAP accuses Trump White House of defying court order restoring access
Wednesday 16 April 2025 15:47 , Oliver O'ConnellThe Associated Press accused aides to President Donald Trump of defying a court order that restored its access to press events in the White House after a judge determined the news agency had faced unlawful retaliation.
In a court filing on Wednesday, lawyers for the AP accused the White House of continuing to exclude its journalists from the small pool of reporters who travel with the president and attend events in the Oval Office, in violation of U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden's order lifting those restrictions while a lawsuit moves forward.
McFadden found that the White House had discriminated against the AP by continuing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in its coverage rather than the Gulf of America, as ordered by Trump. The court stated that the White House likely violated free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution.
The White House has appealed McFadden’s ruling to a federal appeals court, which is set to hear arguments on Thursday.
Today’s filing reads in part:
The new policy abandons the longstanding role of wire services, which have been included in the pool since its inception to assure that White House reporting reaches the broadest possible audience in the United States and around the globe as quickly and reliably as possible.
This change marks the latest reduction in wire service participation, which the White House continues to use as a pretext for targeting the AP.
…
The new policy did not include any list of participating outlets or schedule for their rotation into the pool, further underscoring the lack of any indication that the White House has in fact “immediately rescinded” its viewpoint-based exclusion of the AP’s text journalists and photographers.
The White House announced on Tuesday that all wire services, including Reuters and Bloomberg, would no longer have a permanent position in the press pool. The AP contended that the new policy was in clear violation of the previous order and served as a pretext for further retaliation against the AP. Both Reuters and the AP issued statements denouncing the new policy, which places wire services into a larger rotation with around 30 other newspaper and print outlets.
Other media clients, including local news organizations without a presence in Washington, depend on the wire services' real-time reports of presidential statements, just as global financial markets do. The AP states in its stylebook that the Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for over 400 years, and, as a global news agency, the AP will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name chosen by Trump.
With reporting from wires
NY AG Letitia James targeted for criminal prosecution by Trump admin
Wednesday 16 April 2025 15:40 , Oliver O'ConnellNew York Attorney General Letitia James, who prosecuted President Donald Trump for alleged financial crimes, has been hit with a federal criminal referral over mortgage fraud allegations, according to a letter obtained by The New York Post.
James, 66, launched a civil fraud case against Trump and his business empire in 2022, accusing him of inflating the value of Trump Organization assets. The proceedings ended with Judge Arthur Engoron ordering the now-president to pay a $354 million fine plus interest.
Now, a letter from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi alleges that James “falsified records” in August 2023 to secure home loans on a property in Norfolk, Virginia, that she said was her “principal residence” while still serving in her role in New York.
Joe Sommerlad has the story.
New York AG Letitia James targeted for criminal prosecution by Trump admin
COMMENT: Starmer’s ‘liberation day’ from Trump lies in a new EU customs deal
Wednesday 16 April 2025 15:20 , Oliver O'ConnellAndrew Grice writes:
Before last year’s election, some pro-EU allies of Keir Starmer wondered whether a Labour government could be more ambitious in EU relations than suggested by the dark red lines in its manifesto: no return to the single currency, the customs union or free movement.
One aide told me then: “We might be able to forge a customs union without rejoining the [existing] customs union.”
The prime minister has transformed relations with EU leaders but stuck rigidly to his three red lines. However, since Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day,” some senior Labour figures have quietly revived the idea of a new customs arrangement with the EU to “liberate” the UK to limit the impact of US tariffs. One Labour MP told me: “Trump has put it back on the agenda.”
Read on...
Starmer’s ‘liberation day’ from Trump lies in a new EU customs deal
Top Hegseth adviser escorted from Pentagon and put on leave in leak probe
Wednesday 16 April 2025 15:00 , Joe SommerladDan Caldwell, one of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leading advisers, was reportedly escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday after he was identified as an alleged leak source by the Department of Defense, according to a government official.
Top Hegseth adviser escorted from Pentagon and put on leave in leak probe
WTO slashes 2025 trade growth forecast, warns of deeper slump
Wednesday 16 April 2025 14:45 , Oliver O'ConnellThe World Trade Organization sharply revised its forecast for global merchandise trade from solid growth to a decline on Wednesday, stating that further U.S. tariffs and spillover effects could result in the steepest slump since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The WTO projected that trade in goods would decline by 0.2% this year, down from its October expectation of a 3.0% expansion. It indicated that its new estimate was based on measures in effect at the beginning of this week.
“I'm very concerned, the contraction in global merchandise trade growth is of big concern,” WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told reporters in Geneva.
President Donald Trump imposed additional duties on steel and car imports, as well as more sweeping global tariffs, before unexpectedly pausing higher duties on a dozen economies. His trade war with China has also intensified, with tit-for-tat exchanges pushing levies on each other's imports beyond 100%.
The WTO stated that if Trump reintroduced the full rates of his broader tariffs, it would reduce goods trade growth by 0.6 percentage points, with an additional 0.8 point cut resulting from spillover effects beyond U.S.-linked trade.
Taken together, this would result in a 1.5% decline, the steepest drop since 2020.
“If we have contraction in global merchandise, the concern is spill over into broad GDP growth. We've seen that the trade concerns can have negative spill-overs into financial markets, into other broader areas of the economy,” Okonjo-Iweala added. She also raised an alarm about the impact on developing countries.
With reporting from Reuters
Trump slapping 21 percent tariff on tomatoes coming from Mexico
Wednesday 16 April 2025 14:40 , Joe SommerladThe president’s own 2019 trade agreement with Mexico will be terminated in 90 days, when a levy of 20.91 percent will be imposed on most tomatoes coming from the country, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced this week.
The move marks the latest action Trump has taken against one of the largest U.S. trading partners.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Feeling saucy! Trump slapping 21 percent tariff on tomatoes coming from Mexico
Full story: Trump administration sues Maine over participation of transgender athletes in girls sports
Wednesday 16 April 2025 14:34 , APThe Trump administration is suing Maine’s education department for failing to comply with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports.
The move is an escalation in the dispute over whether Maine is abiding by a federal law barring discrimination in education, based on sex.
The lawsuit follows weeks of feuding between the Republican administration and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
Continue reading...
Trump administration sues Maine over trans athletes in girls’ sports
Vances to travel to Italy and India on seven day trip
Wednesday 16 April 2025 14:30 , Oliver O'ConnellCBS News reports that Vice President JD Vance will travel to Italy this week to participate in Holy Week events and will then head to India with his wife, Usha, the first Hindu American second lady.
The seven-day visit will begin this Thursday, when Vance will go to Rome to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni before meeting with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to participate in ceremonies ahead of Easter Sunday.
It's unclear if the Vice President will meet with Pope Francis, who was recently hospitalized for 38 days to treat double pneumonia.
The Pope was critical of the Trump administration's immigration policies in a letter to the U.S. Catholic bishops earlier this year.
Vance, who converted to Catholicism six years ago, is the second Catholic to be elected Vice President — the first being former President Joe Biden. Biden was the second Catholic president, the first being John F. Kennedy.
The vice president is not expected to participate in talks with Iranian negotiators regarding Tehran's nuclear program, which will also be taking place in Rome on Saturday, a Vance spokesperson told CBS.
Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration's special envoy to the Middle East, will continue to lead those negotiations with the Iranian government.
In India, the Vice President will visit New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. The Vice President will hold meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Vice President and Second Family will also participate in engagements at cultural sites.
Recap: Trump officials won’t share evidence accusing deported Maryland father of ‘human trafficking’
Wednesday 16 April 2025 14:25 , Joe SommerladThe president appeared to be venting his frustration on social media a short while ago over the persistent press coverage surrounding the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case.
Here’s Alex Woodward with the latest.
Trump officials won’t share evidence accusing Maryland father of ‘human trafficking’
Watch: AG Bondi announces legal action against Maine for trans athletes policy
Wednesday 16 April 2025 14:17 , Oliver O'ConnellBondi: "Gov. Mills said, 'it's only a couple trans athletes.' Well, I think those are boys that identify as girls wanting to beat girls in girls' sports. Well, if one young woman is in jeopardy -- one -- that's enough for us to be standing up here. No boy will be undressing in a… pic.twitter.com/0RptCm1s98
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 16, 2025
Tech moguls who invested in Greenland mining have also given Trump’s campaign $243m, report alleges
Wednesday 16 April 2025 14:10 , Joe SommerladThe Big Tech moguls and other wealthy individuals who donated to Trump’s 2024 campaign could financially profit if the United States takes over Greenland, given their deepening financial ties there.
Here’s Kelly Rissman to explain.
Tech moguls invested in Greenland mining also gave Trump campaign $243m: report
Trump admin sues Maine over participation of transgender athletes in girls sports
Wednesday 16 April 2025 14:08 , Oliver O'ConnellThe Trump administration said Wednesday it is suing Maine’s education department for failing to comply with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes in girls' sports, escalating a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that prohibits discrimination in education based on sex.
The lawsuit follows weeks of conflict between the Republican administration and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, resulting in threats to cut off crucial federal funding and a clash at the White House when she told the president: “We’ll see you in court.”
“We are going to continue to fight for women,” Attorney General Pam Bondi stated at a news conference alongside former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has emerged as a public face of the opposition to transgender athletes.
Trump’s departments of Education and Health and Human Services have stated that the Maine agency is violating the federal Title IX antidiscrimination law by allowing transgender girls to participate on girls' teams.
Watch: Marjorie Taylor Greene says she receives ‘most death threats in Congress’ after town hall interrupted by protesters
Wednesday 16 April 2025 13:55 , Joe SommerladHere’s the Trump-supporting Georgia representative on the angry scenes at her constituency gathering last night, which saw at less three members of the public removed, one of whom was Tasered by police officers.
Trump officials blocking court testimony from Social Security head over program’s ‘death list’
Wednesday 16 April 2025 13:42 , Joe SommerladThe acting head of the Social Security Administration rebuffed a federal judge’s request to appear at a hearing to “clarify” reports alleging that the Trump administration is placing thousands of immigrants on the agency’s “death master file” to harass them out of the country.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander heard arguments on Tuesday over whether to extend her temporary restraining order blocking the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from obtaining access to identifying records at the Social Security Administration.
The order is set to expire on Thursday.
Here’s Kelly Rissman’s report.
Trump officials blocking court testimony from Social Security head over ‘death list’
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon warns US could lose credibility over Trump trade war
Wednesday 16 April 2025 13:26 , Joe SommerladThe chief executive of JPMorgan Chase has warned that President Donald Trump’s trade war could cause the United States to lose credibility overseas, while also urging the administration to “engage” in talks with China sooner rather than later.
Dimon, 69, was one of the most influential voices to come forward last week to predict that sliding into recession was “a likely outcome” for the U.S. if the president did not row back his aggressive reciprocal tariffs program.
Trump duly did so, introducing a 90-day pause for all countries other than China as punishment for its near like-for-like retaliatory measures, acknowledging that the markets had gotten “a bit yippy”.
While conservatives celebrated the U-turn as a masterly act of gamesmanship, uncertainty continues to linger.
In an interview with The Financial Times on Wednesday, Dimon expressed his fear that America could surrender its economic preeminence on the world stage if Trump persists with his efforts to remould global trade more to his liking.
Here’s more.
Jamie Dimon warns US could lose credibility over Trump trade war
FTSE 100 slips as Bunzl’s forecast cut weighs on market
Wednesday 16 April 2025 13:00 , Joe SommerladBritain’s benchmark index slipped on Wednesday as shares in support services giant Bunzl hit a multi-year low after the distributor lowered its annual forecast, while a softer domestic inflation print at 2.6 percent did little to boost investor sentiment.
As of 10.20am, the blue-chip FTSE 100 index was down 0.3 percent and the midcap index fell 0.5 percent.
Both indexes rallied in the previous session after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated possible exemptions on auto-related levies.
Reuters
Trump rages about illegal immigrants: ‘It's my job to get these killers and thugs out of here’
Wednesday 16 April 2025 12:45 , Joe SommerladPresumably alluding to the furore surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia (who has no criminal record and was deported to an El Salvador mega-prison by mistake, by the administration’s own admission), the president here rages about Joe Biden’s record on the southern border in defense of his own actions/inaction.
Sleepy Joe Biden, THE WORST PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, has allowed millions and millions of Criminals, many of them murderers, drug dealers, and people released from prisons and mental institutions from all around the world, to enter our Country through it's…
— Trump Posts on 𝕏 (@trump_repost) April 16, 2025
As for this follow-up, your guess is as good as mine:
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!
— Trump Posts on 𝕏 (@trump_repost) April 16, 2025
A recap of Trump's fight with Harvard
Wednesday 16 April 2025 12:34 , Rachel ClunThe Trump administration has frozen more than $2.2 billion in funding to Harvard University, and the president has called the institution a ‘joke’ in an escalating fight between the White House and universities.
The administration has targeted seven prestigious U.S. universities, demanding they overhaul their leadership, governance and school admissions processes to fight anti-semitism on campus, and demanded all diversity, equity and inclusion programs be axed.
Harvard responded on Monday, highlighting the work it had done over more than a year to make the university a welcoming place for all, and said it would not bow to the White House’s demands.
“The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” its letter said.
Other Ivy League schools have been met with similar demands, including Cornell, Brown, and Princeton.
Alan Rusbridger writes that withholding funds from leading universities that refuse to bend to the president’s wishes show the true colours of the US administration.
Trump says Harvard has 'lost its way'
Wednesday 16 April 2025 12:22 , Rachel ClunPresident Donald Trump has hit out at Harvard University, after the institution rejected White House demands to overhaul its administration.
“Everyone knows that Harvard has ‘lost its way.’” he wrote on social media this morning.
“Harvard has been hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders.’ Look just to the recent past at their plagiarizing President, who so greatly embarrassed Harvard before the United States States Congress.
“Many others, like these Leftist dopes, are teaching at Harvard, and because of that, Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges.
He continued: “Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Singapore 'cannot rule out' recession due to trade war
Wednesday 16 April 2025 12:11 , Rachel ClunSingapore’s trade minister warned he couldn’t rule out a recession because of Donald Trump’s trade war.
Singapore has been hit with the Trump administration’s baseline tariff increase of 10 percent, and Gan Kim Yong said Singaporean companies have already been affected by the trade war between the U.S. and China.
He added additional tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceutical industries would have an additional impact on the economy.
"Given potential downside risks, we cannot rule out the possibility of a recession this year," Gan said.
"Those who have manufacturing operations in China or sell to manufacturers in China for onward sales to the U.S. are already seeing cancelled orders or deferred orders."
Gan’s comments came after the Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in a lecture that the tariff changes had created global instability.
"No company can comfortably plan long-term investments while knowing that the tariff rates could be changed at a moment's notice," Wong said.
Trump orders investigation into potential new tariffs on critical minerals
Wednesday 16 April 2025 11:59 , Rachel Clun, ReutersPresident Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into potential new tariffs on all critical mineral imports to the U.S.
The move, on top of tariffs on steel, aluminum and baseline 10 per cent duties on most US trade partners, would be a major escalation in the global trade war and would add pressure on China, which is a top critical mineral producer.
Trump signed an order on Tuesday directing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to start a national security review under the Trade Expansion Act.
Asked on Wednesday to react to the order, China’s foreign ministry said: “Artificial interference in the supply chain violates the laws of the market economy and international trade rules.”
China urges U.S. to 'stop threatening and blackmailing' over apparent 245% tariff threat
Wednesday 16 April 2025 11:48 , Rachel ClunChina’s foreign ministry has urged journalists to question the White House over a new fact sheet claiming China faces 245 percent tariffs from the U.S.
The fact sheet published by the White House on Tuesday said that China “now faces up to a 245 percent tariff on imports to the United States” because of its retaliatory actions. The fact sheet did not detail where the extra 100 percent would come from.
When asked about the fact sheet, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said “you can take this number to the U.S. side for an answer,” according to Chinese state media.
Lin reiterated that the trade war was started by the U.S. and China has simply taken action to protect its interests.
"If the US genuinely wants to solve the problem through dialogue and negotiation, it should give up its approach of imposing extreme pressure, stop threatening and blackmailing, and engage in dialogue with the Chinese side on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit," he said, according to China Daily.
Trump says Japan negotiations beginning today
Wednesday 16 April 2025 11:25 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump says trade negotiations with Japan will start today, and he will personally attend the meeting.
“Japan is coming in today to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and ‘TRADE FAIRNESS.’” he wrote on social media.
“I will attend the meeting, along with Treasury & Commerce Secretaries. Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!”
The president imposed “reciprocal” tariffs of 24 per cent on Japan, which have since been paused for 90 days.
However, the broad-based 10 per cent tariff remains, as does a 25 per cent tariff on vehicles exported to the U.S.
What extra revenue could higher U.S. tariffs generate?
Wednesday 16 April 2025 11:16 , Rachel ClunEarlier today President Donald Trump claimed that the U.S. was “taking in RECORD NUMBERS in Tariffs”. But what are some estimates of how much the tariffs will generate in revenue?
According to the nonprofit Tax Foundation, the average effective tariff weight - that is, how much the combined tariffs will raise after accounting for changing behaviour - will rise to 11.5 per cent.
The foundation estimates that in response to higher tariffs, imports to the U.S. will fall by a bit more than $800 billion in 2025, or 25 per cent.
It estimates that a 10 percent universal tariff, which remains in place despite the pause on higher tariffs, could raise $2.2 trillion over the next decade.
International bank ING said it appears the Trump administration is looking to gain an additional $600-$700 billion a year.
Gold prices rise to new high
Wednesday 16 April 2025 11:11 , Rachel ClunInvestors have continued to flock to the safe bet of gold, with bullion prices rising to a fresh highGold prices have risen to a fresh high of $3,318.
Uncertainties around Donald Trump’s tariff plans left gold in an unstoppable position, with the bullion hitting another record high of $3,318 per ounce, up nearly 3 percent and surpassing the previous high set on Monday.
Asian and European shares fell on Wednesday, while U.S chip maker Nvidia also took a hit due to U.S. restrictions on chip sales to China amid the ongoing global trade war.
Australian bank ANZ updated its forecast for gold to hit $3,600 an ounce by the end of the year, arguing on Wednesday that safe-haven demand for the asset would pick up.
In pictures: Chinese president visits Malaysia
Wednesday 16 April 2025 11:05 , Rachel ClunChinese President Xi Jinping is on a state visit to three countries in South East Asia, amid global uncertainty and turmoil over new U.S tariffs on trading partners.
Xi arrived in Malaysia today after visiting Vietnam, and will visit Cambodia next.
Donald Trump impose reciprocal tariffs of 49 percent on Cambodia, 26 percent on Vietnam and 24 percent on Malaysia before pausing those steep increases for 90 days late last week.
Xi is using the visits to strengthen bilateral relations with the South East Asian nations.
Why do tariffs on Taiwan matter?
Wednesday 16 April 2025 10:54 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump slapped “reciprocal” tariffs on Taiwan of 32 per cent before pausing that duty hike, but he said tariffs on semiconductors would be increased this week.
Taiwan is one of the world’s largest producers of semiconductors, accounting for about 20 per cent of the global industry.
Semiconductors are key components in computer chips, and Taiwan also dominates that market as well, manufacturing 92 percent of the worlds’ most advanced chips according to a report by the U.S. International Trade Commission.
Chips are the backbone of modern society, and are in everything from iPhones and computers to cars.
U.S. senators visit Taiwan as 32 percent tariffs loom
Wednesday 16 April 2025 10:42 , Rachel ClunThree U.S. senators are visiting Taiwain to discuss U.S-Taiwan relations and trade, as tariffs of 32 percent on Taiwanese goods exported to America loom.
Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on East Asia, is leading the delegation that will be in Taiwan until April 19, the American Institute in Taiwan said in a statement.
Also going on the visit is Republican senator Ted Budd and Democrat senator Chris Coons.
“The delegation will engage in a series of high-level meetings with senior Taiwan leaders to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, and other significant issues of mutual interest,” the institute said.
“Their visit underscores the United States’ commitment to its partnership with Taiwan and reaffirms our shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
U.S. wants trading partners to move away from China, according to reports
Wednesday 16 April 2025 10:31 , Rachel ClunThe U.S. plans to use tariff negotiations to pressure other countries to limit their trade relationships with China, according to reports.
The U.S. wants commitments from dozens of countries facing higher tariffs on their goods exported to America that they will not allow Chinese companies to establish facilities on their territory, people with knowledge of the plan told the Wall Street Journal.
Negotiations will also be used to pressure trading partners to now allow the shipment of Chinese goods through their territory and to avoid bringing cheap industrial goods from China into their countries.
Neither the White House nor Treasury responded to the WSJ’s request for comment.
'Ball is in China's court' on trade, White House says
Wednesday 16 April 2025 10:20 , Rachel ClunThe top White House spokesperson said it was up to China to make a deal with America to resoved the ongoing trade war.
President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of up to 145 percent on Chinese goods to boost tax revenue and force China to make concessions, but so far the Chinese government has responded by raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 125 percent.
China has said repeatedly that while it doesn’t want to fight trade wars, it was not scared of them.
China’s official media outlet the China Daily said overnight that the U.S. “should stop whining about itself being a victim in global trade”.
At a news briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “the ball is in China’s court.”
"China needs to make a deal with us. We don't have to make a deal with them. There's no difference between China and any other country except they are much larger,” she said.
“And China wants what we have, what every country wants ... the American consumer. Or to put it another way, they need our money."
Watch: Biden slams Republicans over Social Security cuts
Wednesday 16 April 2025 10:09 , Rachel ClunIn his first major speech since leaving office, former president Joe Biden hit back at Republicans for their attacks on Social Security.
“Social Security is more than just a government program,” he said in a speech on Tuesday evening. “It’s a sacred promise.”
Singapore's leader says there is little comfort in tariff pause
Wednesday 16 April 2025 09:59Singapore’s Prime Minister says there is little comfort in the U.S. postponing most of its proposed "reciprocal" tariffs, saying the changes have created great uncertainty.
"The current baseline tariff rates are still much higher than what they used to be. And the changes have already created great uncertainty for businesses everywhere," Lawrence Wong said in a lecture on Wednesday.
"No company can comfortably plan long-term investments while knowing that the tariff rates could be changed at a moment’s notice.”
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China’s president calls for ‘openness and cooperation’ around the world
Wednesday 16 April 2025 09:47Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged countries to “uphold the multilateral trading system”.
In an opinion piece for Malaysian English-language outlet The Star, Xi said China and Malaysia must “strengthen mutual cooperation in international and regional affairs”.
“We must uphold the U.N.-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, and promote fairer and more equitable global governance,” Xi said.
“We must uphold the multilateral trading system, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and maintain an international environment of openness and cooperation.”
Xi is on a three-country tour of South East Asia, where countries face steep tariffs if fully imposed by the U.S. at the end of the 90-day pause.
JPMorgan chief warns trade war could cost U.S its credibility
Wednesday 16 April 2025 09:32 , Rachel ClunThe head of global financial services firm JPMorgan Chase says president Donald Trump’s trade war risks the U.S’s global credibility.
Jamie Dimon urged the Trump administration to engage with Beijing and dial back the trade war, and end some of the “challenging” uncertainty in an interview with the Financial Times.
“When they announced the liberation day tariffs, they were dramatically different than people expected. Way off the table than what people expected. And that was shocking to the system. The global system, not just in the United States,” he said.
He said the U.S needs to negotiate with key allies including Europe, the U.K, Japan and Australia.
China positions itself as 'world's market'
Wednesday 16 April 2025 09:12 , Rachel ClunIn repsonse to the U.S. raising tariffs, China has been working to establish itself as a stable alternative.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian wrote on social media a short time ago that “China is the world’s market and a source of opportunities for every country.”
China is the world’s market and a source of opportunities for every country. pic.twitter.com/ftnhFsPRMm
— Lin Jian 林剑 (@SpoxCHN_LinJian) April 16, 2025
The country’s president Xi Jinping is currently on a three-country tour of South East Asian countries, which face high tariffs from the U.S.
Xi arrived in Malaysia, where he said China was ready to work with the country to build a “high-level strategic” relationship, Chinese state media reports.
U.K aiming for ‘no tariffs’ in talks with U.S
Wednesday 16 April 2025 09:00 , Rachel ClunThe U.K. government is aiming for “no tariffs” with the U.S as the countries continue negotiations over a trade deal.
The U.K. has been hit with 10 per cent tariffs, as well as 25 percent tariffs on its car exports to America.
Speaking on BBC radio this morning, minister Lilian Greenwood said British negotiators were “working night and day to secure a trade deal”.
“We have a very longstanding and good relationship with the United States. Obviously, things have been difficult in recent weeks with the announcement of tariffs,” she said.
Greenwood said the U.K. wanted to export to the U.S “with the minimum levels of tariffs possible”.
“Obviously, the minimum tariff possible would be zero tariffs altogether,” she said.
Asked if that was what the U.K. was aiming for, she said: “Of course, we'd be aiming for there to be no tariffs. But that's part of a negotiation.”
Hong Kong halts U.S parcel shipments
Wednesday 16 April 2025 08:46 , Rachel ClunHong Kong will stop sending small parcel shipments to the U.S., following the Trump administration’s announcement of high tariffs on goods from China.
From May 2, shipments with a value of less than $800 will face a 120 percent tariff, and a government statement said HongKong Post would not collect the duties on behalf of the U.S.
“For sending items to the U.S., the public in Hong Kong should be prepared to pay exorbitant and unreasonable fees due to the U.S.’s unreasonable and bullying acts,” the government wrote.
What tariffs are already in place?
Wednesday 16 April 2025 08:26 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump’s tariff regime has changed regularly, and the big news from last week was the 90-day pause on aggressive “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries that the president claimed were ripping Americans off.
But other relatively new duties remain in place. Here’s what exporters to the U.S. currently face:
- A broad 10 per cent tariff on most exporters to the U.S., for all goods, unless tariffs already exist on those trading partners
- A 25 percent tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico.
- A 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum exports to the U.S.
- A 25 percent tariff on all cars and car parts shipped to the U.S.
- Tariffs of 145 percent on all goods from China, except for some electronics exclusions.
The Trump administration has also said it will introduce new tariffs on semiconductors, a key component of computer chips.
China appoints new international trade negotiator
Wednesday 16 April 2025 08:17China has appointed a new top trade negotiator amid the ongoing trade war with the U.S.
Li Chenggang will replace Wang Shouwen as China’s envoy to the World Trade Organization.
Li was China’s assistant commerce minister during Donald Trump’s first term.
Earlier on Wednesday, China announced its economy had grown by 5.4 percent annually, due to strong exports.
Analysts are expecting that growth to slow significantly as tariffs from the U.S take effect.
Nvidia to take $5.5 billion hit as U.S restricts sales to China
Wednesday 16 April 2025 08:04 , Rachel ClunMajor U.S chipmaker Nvidia says it will take a $5.5 billion hit after the U.S government limited exports of its most advanced product to China.
A U.S. Commerce Department spokesperson said it was issuing new licensing requirements for chip exports, including Nvidia's H20, AMD's MI308 and equivalents.
"The Commerce Department is committed to acting on the President's directive to safeguard our national and economic security," the spokesperson said.
The H20 is Nvidia’s most advanced chip available for sale in China, but on Tuesday the company said the government was restricting its sales because of the risks the chips could be used in a supercomputer.
Nvidia’s shares were down about 6 percent in after-hours trading.
Trump claims U.S taking 'record' tariffs
Wednesday 16 April 2025 07:51 , Rachel ClunDonald Trump claims the U.S is taking in record tariff revenue, which is helping to bring inflation down.
“The United States is taking in RECORD NUMBERS in Tariffs, with the cost of almost all products going down, including gasoline, groceries, and just about everything else,” he wrote on social media.
“Likewise, INFLATION is down. Promises Made, Promises Kept!”
U.S. 'should stop whining' over trade: Chinese media
Wednesday 16 April 2025 07:43 , Rachel ClunChina’s official media outlet the China Daily said they U.S. “should stop whining about itself being a victim in global trade”.
In an editorial published on Tuesday evening, the outlet said Donald Trump’s “constaint refrain” that trading partners were ripping America off was a fabrication.
“The U.S. is not getting ripped off by anybody. The problem is the U.S. has been living beyond its means for decades,” the editorial said.
“It consumes more than it produces. It has outsourced its manufacturing and borrowed money in order to have a higher standard of living than it's entitled to based on its productivity. Rather than being ‘cheated’, the U.S. has been taking a free ride on the globalization train.”
The editorial continued: “The U.S. should stop whining about itself being a victim in global trade and put an end to its capricious and destructive behavior. Instead, it should commit itself to working with its trading partners to establish a fair, free and WTO-centered multilateral trading system that is in line with the times.”
