President Donald Trump speaks during a ‘Liberation Day’ event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Samuel Corum/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect.

Trump’s higher tariffs hit major US trading partners, sparking defiance and concern

Higher tariffs likely to impact global supply chains and inflation

U.S. President Donald Trump's higher tariffs on imports from dozens of countries kicked in on Thursday, raising the average U.S. import duty to its highest in a century and leaving major trade partners such as Switzerland, Brazil and India hurriedly searching for a better deal.






Photo: Mlenny/iStock/Getty Images

France pushes for farming ’emergency brake’ in Mercosur deal

Despite previous reservations, France held a meeting with 10 EU countries to discuss a possible trade deal with Latin America's Mercosur bloc, a day after the United States unleashed a global trade war, signalling it may be a way for the bloc to offset the impact of U.S. tariffs on European exports.