Heather Stewart

2 days ago | msn.com | Pippa Crerar |Heather Stewart

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3 days ago | theguardian.com | Pippa Crerar |Heather Stewart

Rachel Reeves will fly to Washington this week to argue for global free trade in the face of Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs and amid continued international economic turbulence. The UK chancellor will use the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund, which is attended by top finance ministers and central bankers, to make the case that free trade is in both British and global interests.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Heather Stewart

Donald Trump’s tariffs will send international trade into reverse this year, depressing global economic growth, the World Trade Organization has warned. In its latest snapshot of the global trading system, the Geneva-based institution says it had previously expected goods trade to expand by a healthy 2.7% this year. As a result of Washington’s trade policy, it is now forecasting a 0.2% decline.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Heather Stewart

The UK jobs market continues to cool but Rachel Reeves will be relieved that there is little sign as yet in the latest data that her tax increase on employers is leading to mass job losses. Reaching for employer national insurance contributions (NICS) to raise an extra £25bn in October’s budget sparked a furious business backlash and dire warnings about the impact for workers. So far there is little sign of a dramatic shakeout – but the labour market slowdown that began last year has continued.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Heather Stewart

The UN’s trade and development arm, Unctad, is calling on Donald Trump to exempt the world’s poorest and smallest countries from “reciprocal” tariffs, or risk “serious economic harm”. In a report published on Monday, Unctad identifies 28 nations the US president singled out for a higher tariff rate than the 10% baseline – despite each accounting for less than 0.1% of the US trade deficit.