Trump administration threatens tariffs on $11bn of EU goods including wine and aeroplanes April 9, 2019 The US is considering slapping tariffs on $11bn (£8.4bn) worth of goods from the European Union including French cheese, sparkling wine, and helicopters, it said today. Read more: Trump asks China to lift tariffs on US agricultural exports The US Trade Representative said the proposed move would be in retaliation for EU subsidies to Airbus, [...]
Nigeria and India the fastest growing markets for UK exports in 2018 April 9, 2019 Nigeria and India were the top two fastest growing export destinations for UK goods in 2018 as Britain developed its trade links to non-European nations, new analysis has shown. Read more: UK service exports fall as Brexit and global economic slowdown bite UK exports to Nigeria grew by 27 per cent last year to £1.6bn, [...]
No-deal planning programme extended due to later Brexit date April 8, 2019 The government has extended the deadline for companies to apply for an £8m scheme to help businesses prepare for Brexit, it said today. The programme was instituted in October 2018 to help businesses prepare for a no-deal scenario by training traders on how to meet customs requirements and helping fund IT costs, among other measures, [...]
UK inflation expectations remain at five-year high April 8, 2019 The British public’s expectations of inflation for 2019 stayed at their highest level in five years, new Bank of England data revealed today. Read more: Inflation edges up from two-year low as food and alcohol prices rise Britons expect the inflation rate – the speed at which prices increase over time – to be at 3.2 per [...]
Tories must move to centre ground to win back young voters from labour, major study says April 8, 2019 The Conservatives must move towards the centre ground to reclaim millions of young voters who currently support Labour, a major report released today has said. Read more: Tories are the party of 'economic destruction', say business leaders Senior Tory cabinet ministers and backbenchers have backed the call of centre-right think tank Onwards to make the [...]
US President Donald Trump says economy would ‘rocket’ if Fed cut rates April 5, 2019 US President Donald Trump said the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates, saying the economy would take off “like a rocket ship” if they did. Speaking following the release of US jobs data which showed a strong rebound in hiring in March, Trump said the US central bank “really slowed us down”, CNBC reported. Trump [...]
Jeremy Hunt: No-deal Brexit could tip UK and EU into recession April 5, 2019 UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has said a no-deal Brexit could push both Britain and the European Union into recession. Read more: May asks EU for short Brexit delay while EU mulls 12-month extension “A no deal outcome is bad for the UK. It’s also very bad for the European Union”, Hunt told a press [...]
Employment in US surges after weak February but wage growth slows April 5, 2019 The US created 196,000 new jobs in March in a marked improvement from February's dramatic slowdown, it was revealed today. Read more: US economic growth unexpectedly slows in final quarter However, wage growth slowed to 3.2 per cent in March compared to a year earlier after growing 3.4 per cent in February, mixed US economic data [...]
UK productivity falls for second consecutive quarter April 5, 2019 Labour productivity in Britain fell in the final three months of 2018 compared to a year earlier, continuing the country’s decade-long productivity slump, it was revealed today. Read more: UK services sector shrinks for first time in over two year For 2018 as a whole, labour productivity grew by just 0.5 per cent, well below [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond says ending austerity will not mean spending splurge April 5, 2019 Chancellor Philip Hammond has fired back over criticisms of the autumn Budget, saying that ending austerity should not mean increased spending in every government department. Read more: Hammond has the cash to end austerity, IFS says Hammond today said bringing an end to austerity was “also about delivering wage growth and leaving more in people’s [...]