US to impose additional tariffs on China and push ahead with Canada and Mexico levies

Good morning and blissful Friday. In at the moment’s e-newsletter:

• Trump’s newest push for tariffs

• Bangladesh pupil protesters launch a brand new occasion

• How DeepSeek ‘modified all the things’ for Chinese language AI

Donald Trump stated yesterday he would impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on imports from China and press forward with levies on Mexico and Canada from subsequent week, elevating the spectre of a worldwide commerce struggle.

The president had halted his proposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada earlier this month, simply hours earlier than they have been because of start, giving the US’s two greatest buying and selling companions a month-long reprieve.

However in a submit on Fact Social yesterday, Trump wrote that the proposed tariffs would “go into impact, as scheduled” on March 4. The president added that he additionally deliberate to hit China with a further 10 per cent levy on the identical day, on high of 10 per cent tariffs that he imposed this month.

The Chinese language embassy in Washington criticised the brand new tariffs, saying there have been “no winners” in a commerce struggle. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated his nation would reply to any “unjustified tariffs” with a “robust, instant and sure reply”.

In the meantime Mexico extradited dozens of prisoners to the US yesterday including a drug trafficker wanted since the 1980s as President Claudia Sheinbaum’s cupboard held high-level safety conferences in Washington with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to attempt to beat back Trump’s tariffs.

• Trump-Starmer assembly: Trump stated he’s engaged on a commerce cope with the UK and instructed that Britain could escape tariffs if the international locations safe one, however the allies didn’t agree on US safety ensures for Ukraine.

• What nearer US-Russia ties imply for China: Trump’s rapprochement with Moscow over the struggle in Ukraine serves Beijing’s purpose of a multipolar world order, but additionally raises dangers for Xi Jinping, analysts stated.

Right here’s what else we’re maintaining tabs on at the moment:

• Financial information: India studies its third-quarter GDP estimate whereas Japan publishes industrial manufacturing figures for January.

• India-Europe relations: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

• Ukraine: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is anticipated to fulfill Trump in Washington to signal a deal on essential minerals.

How nicely did you retain up with the information this week? Take our quiz.

5 extra high tales

1. Pupil protesters in Bangladesh who led a revolt that toppled former chief Sheikh Hasina final yr are set to kind a brand new political occasion, difficult the nation’s entrenched political duopoly. The brand new “National Citizen party” plans to launch today and shall be led by Nahid Islam, a outstanding pupil chief.

2. The founding household of 7-Eleven’s mum or dad group has deserted a $58bn buyout try, elevating the probability that Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard will succeed with its unsolicited bid for the Japanese comfort retailer firm. Shares of Seven & i plunged after it stated a bunch led by the Ito household was unable to secure financing.

3. Microsoft has warned Donald Trump’s administration it dangers making a “strategic mis-step” if it pushes forward with export controls on synthetic intelligence chips. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, warned they would push allies to use Chinese technology instead whereas adversely impacting allies similar to Israel, India and Singapore.

4. China’s securities regulator has clamped down on small firms itemizing on New York inventory exchanges, viewing them as susceptible to market manipulation. Analysts stated the crackdown was Beijing’s newest effort to reduce financial ties with the US.

5. Indonesia is ready to raise its ban on iPhone 16 gross sales after hanging a cope with Apple to deliver funding of about $320mn to south-east Asia’s largest economic system. The ultimate determine is considerably less than Apple’s $1bn offer last month to fabricate equipment within the nation, which was rejected by Jakarta.

Information in-depth

DeepSeek’s advances have sparked a nationwide push in China to deploy its know-how all over the place from hospitals to native governments, with even probably the most historically conservative establishments throwing their weight behind the brand new nationwide AI champion. Today’s deep dive looks at how the start-up “changed everything” for Chinese AI.

We’re additionally studying . . . 

• Japan’s child boomers: The sensible impression of mass ageing has out of the blue grow to be more dramatic and potent, writes Leo Lewis.

• The top of hanging out?: Latest traits have mixed to worsen public areas. Fortunately, we can do better, writes Simon Kuper.

• US housing: At the moment’s Huge Learn explores how builders are tackling the twin challenges of extreme climate and a housing scarcity.

Chart of the day

The variety of infants born in Japan final yr fell to the lowest level since records began 125 years in the past because the nation’s demographic disaster deepens and authorities efforts to reverse the decline proceed to fail.

Take a break from the information . . . 

Get on board Tanzania’s 33-hour gradual practice with Sophy Roberts to expertise one of the last old world trains on its 800-mile journey west throughout the nation earlier than it’s eclipsed by its electrified high-speed substitute.