Day: July 30, 2025

Trump announces 15% tariff on South Korean goods

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Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world Donald Trump announced a trade deal with South Korea on Wednesday that would impose tariffs of 15 per cent on the country’s goods. South Korea in exchange would “give to the United States $350 Billion Dollars for Investments owned and controlled by the United States, and selected by myself, as President”, Trump wrote on Truth Social.  The US president said the Asian country would also commit to buying…

Top Republican lawmaker to lead congressional delegation to Taiwan

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Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world A top Republican lawmaker will lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan in August, a development that will be welcomed in Taipei amid concerns about Donald Trump’s commitment to the country in the face of Chinese pressure. The visit by Roger Wicker, according to three people familiar with the trip, comes at a delicate point in US-Taiwan relations. The Republican chair of the Senate armed services committee is one…

China’s JD.com launches €2.2bn offer for German electronics retailer Ceconomy

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Chinese ecommerce group JD.com has launched a takeover bid for German electronics retailer Ceconomy, in what could be one of the largest Chinese acquisitions in Europe in recent years. The Beijing-based company said on Wednesday evening it had made a voluntary cash offer of €4.60 per Ceconomy share, with the German retailer’s management and supervisory board backing the proposed deal. JD.com’s offer values Ceconomy’s equity at about €2.2bn. The bid…

JD.com launches €2.2bn offer for German electronics retailer Ceconomy

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Chinese ecommerce group JD.com has launched a takeover bid for German electronics retailer Ceconomy, in what could be one of the largest Chinese acquisitions in Europe in recent years. The Beijing-based company said on Wednesday evening it had made a voluntary cash offer of €4.60 per Ceconomy share, with the German retailer’s management and supervisory board backing the proposed deal. JD.com’s offer values Ceconomy’s equity at about €2.2bn. The bid…

Countries failing to act on UN climate pledge to triple renewables, thinktank finds

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Most global governments have failed to act on the 2023 UN pledge to triple the world’s renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade, according to climate analysts. The failure to act means that on current forecasts the world will fall far short of its clean energy goals, leading to a continued reliance on fossil fuels that is incompatible with the target of limiting global heating to below 1.5C. A report by the climate thinktank Ember found that only 22 countries, most within the EU, have increased their renewable…

Will China win renewables race while US pivots to fossil fuels and nuclear?

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US President Donald Trump’s signature budget bill, signed into law earlier this month, marked a startling pivot towards fossil fuels and nuclear power, reigniting a fierce debate over how best to balance the country’s energy future with its national security. Advertisement The act, known officially as the One Big Beautiful Bill, rolls back Joe Biden era subsidies for solar, wind and electric vehicles – a dramatic reversal of long-standing US support for clean energy in a world racing towards decarbonisation. At the same time, the act preserves subsidies for nuclear…

How Trump’s vision of a single-minded China containment has failed

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Half a year into Donald Trump’s second US presidency, a stark reality confronts Washington: the grand vision of an unprecedented focus on countering China, heralded by his strategists and supporters, has faltered. Advertisement The fundamental premise that America could dramatically disengage from Europe and the Middle East, freeing up resources for a singular containment strategy against Beijing, has collided against a resistant world. Instead of pivoting to pursue China, Trump finds himself owning the very conflicts he vowed to end, draining American power and granting Beijing breathing room. Resolving the…

White House to end US tariff exemption for all low-value overseas packages

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The United States is suspending a “de minimis” exemption that allowed low-value commercial shipments to be shipped to the United States without facing tariffs, the White House said on Wednesday. Under an executive order signed by Donald Trump on Wednesday, packages valued at or under $800 sent to the US outside of the international postal network will now face “all applicable duties” starting on 29 August, the White House said. The US president earlier targeted packages from China and Hong Kong, and the White House said the recently signed tax…

Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand attacked amid border tensions

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As border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia erupted to five days of fighting before a ceasefire was declared, reports of Cambodian migrant workers being beaten by Thai gangs were on the rise. Thai government and police officials have both issued public statements condemning the attacks on Cambodian migrant workers. RFA Khmer service’s Poly Sam speaks with Bangkok-based rights and labor activist Phil Robertson of Asia Human Rights Labour Advocates (AHRLA) about what’s being done. Below is a transcript of the interview for RFA Perspectives: cambodia-migrant-workers-attacked-thailand This image made from video…

Trump says tariffs talks with China ‘moving along well’

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US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that talks with China on a tariff deal were “moving along well” and that both countries would reach a “fair” deal on trade, without offering additional details of the long-awaited agreement. Advertisement “We’re moving along with China. We’re doing fine with China,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I think it’s going to work out very well. We’re right in step … I think we’re going to have a very fair deal with China,” he added. Trump’s latest comment came a day…