Articles in this Cluster
19-04-2025
Apple is stuck in a tariff tussle between the US and China, with 90% of its iPhones made in China, a country heavily impacted by US President Donald Trump's tariffs, now rising to 245% on some Chinese imports. Trump's administration exempted smartphones and computers from tariffs last week, but the relief is short-lived as more tariffs are expected on semiconductors and the electronics supply chain. Apple's global supply chain, once a strength, has become a vulnerability due to the interdependence of the US and China. China has benefited greatly from hosting Apple's assembly lines, creating jobs and spurring local innovation. However, the US is now pushing for companies to "onshore" manufacturing, but many are skeptical, viewing it as "pure fantasy" due to the complexity of Apple's supply chain and the fact that most assembly still takes place in China. China's unrivalled supply chain is a major draw for foreign manufacturers, and any change to Apple's current status quo would be a huge blow for China.
Entities: Apple, US, China, Donald Trump, iPhones • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: analyze
19-04-2025
The US plans to impose port fees on Chinese ships to revive its shipbuilding industry and challenge China's dominance. From mid-October, Chinese ship owners and operators will be charged $50 per ton of cargo, rising by $30 per ton each year for three years. The fees will be based on cargo weight, number of containers, or vehicles onboard. The move is expected to raise prices for US consumers and disrupt global trade, which is already affected by US President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. The fees are lower than a previously suggested plan to charge up to $1.5m per port visit.
Entities: US, China, Donald Trump, British Broadcasting Corporation, US shipbuilding industry • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
19-04-2025
President Donald Trump's approval rating on the economy has dropped to its lowest level during his presidential career, with 43% approving and 55% disapproving, according to a CNBC All-America Economic Survey. The survey found broad discontent over Trump's handling of tariffs, inflation, and government spending. Trump's Republican base remains behind him, but Democrats and independents are increasingly negative, with Democrats being 30 points more negative than during his first term. The public disapproves of Trump's handling of inflation by a 37 to 60% margin and his handling of tariffs by a 49 to 35 margin. Meanwhile, 57% of the public believe the US is or will soon be in a recession, and 53% say it's a bad time to invest in the stock market. Trump's best numbers are on immigration, where 53% approve of his handling of the Southern border.
Entities: Donald Trump, CNBC, US, Republican, Democrats • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
19-04-2025
The dollar has fallen by over 9% against a basket of major currencies since mid-January, with a significant portion of that decline occurring since April 1st despite rising yields on ten-year Treasuries, indicating investors think America has become riskier and are fleeing the currency.
Entities: America, dollar, major currencies, ten-year Treasuries, investors • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: analyze
19-04-2025
China is struggling to handle the unpredictability of America's President Donald Trump, despite its economic strength and efforts to become more self-reliant and less dependent on foreign inputs. China's economy is resilient to American tariffs and is also capable of imposing pain on foreign rivals, but it still faces challenges in dealing with an impulsive America.
Entities: Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, America, China, America's President • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: analyze
19-04-2025
Chinese grocery stores are bracing for price increases and stock shortages due to the US tariffs imposed on Chinese goods, with some tariffs reaching as high as 145%. Store owners, such as Wu from Chang Jiang Supermarket in Queens, New York, and Lan Ong from Wing Hop Fung in Arcadia, California, are concerned about the impact on their businesses, with some suppliers raising prices by 30-50% or stopping shipments altogether. The tariffs will likely affect a wide range of products, including seafood, coffee, fruit, and Asian snacks, with low-income shoppers being hit the hardest. Industry experts warn that the consequences of the trade war will be "unimaginable" if it continues, with small, locally owned grocery stores being particularly vulnerable.
Entities: Chinese grocery stores, US, China, Chang Jiang Supermarket, Queens, New York • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
19-04-2025
The US State Department has accused a Chinese firm, Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited, of directly aiding Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen by providing satellite imagery used to target US and international vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis have been attacking commercial and military ships in the area since late 2023. The US has imposed sanctions on the International Bank of Yemen for financially supporting the Houthis. US airstrikes targeting a Houthi-controlled oil port in Yemen killed 74 people and wounded 171 others, and the US has warned that it will not tolerate support for foreign terrorist organizations like the Houthis.
Entities: US State Department, Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited, Iran, Houthi rebels, Yemen • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
19-04-2025
China has released footage of its sixth-generation J-36 fighter jet, sparking speculation about its capabilities and role in future wars. The images show a prototype with three engines, raising questions about the design and technology behind the aircraft. The release may be an attempt to demonstrate rapid progress in next-generation technology amid a global race to develop sixth-generation fighters, with the US, UK, Japan, Italy, France, Germany, and Spain also involved in similar programmes.
Entities: China, J-36 fighter jet, South China Morning Post, US, UK • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: analyze
19-04-2025
DHL Express has temporarily suspended business-to-consumer shipments worth more than $800 to individuals in the US due to recent changes in US customs regulations, effective immediately. Business-to-business shipments to US companies with a declarable value above $800 will not be suspended but may face delays. The suspension is a result of the US eliminating 'de minimis' treatment for products from certain countries, requiring formal entry processing for shipments valued over $800.
Entities: DHL Express, US, South China Morning Post, US Customs, business-to-consumer • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
19-04-2025
Zhao Chunling, a female engineer who graduated from Northwestern Polytechnical University, a Chinese university under US sanctions, is now leading the C929 programme to produce a Chinese widebody airliner to challenge Boeing and Airbus. She has been the lead designer since 2023, after previously contributing to the development of China's C909 and C919 regional and narrowbody models. Zhao's background is in designing air defence systems, and her university has been involved in the development of various Chinese military aircraft.
Entities: Zhao Chunling, Northwestern Polytechnical University, C929, Boeing, Airbus • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
19-04-2025
Luxury goods companies, including Louis Vuitton and Gucci owners, are facing challenges in China due to the ongoing trade war with the US and a slump in the country's property market, which is affecting consumer sentiment and spending on luxury goods. LVMH reported a 3% decline in first-quarter sales, and a Bain & Co report found that luxury spending in China fell around 18-20% last year. Analysts attribute the decline to falling property prices and uncertainties over the trade war.
Entities: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, China, US, LVMH • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
19-04-2025
Major rice-producing countries, including India, Pakistan, Thailand, and China, have severe heavy metal pollution, particularly cadmium, in their arable soil, posing a risk to global food safety and human health, according to a study led by Chinese scientists. The research found that up to 1.4 billion people are affected by toxic heavy metal pollution and 17% of arable land is contaminated, with cadmium contamination linked to kidney damage, bone disorders, respiratory diseases, and cancer.
Entities: India, Pakistan, Thailand, China, South China Morning Post • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: warn
19-04-2025
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng, reaffirming the company's commitment to the Chinese market amid new US export controls on semiconductor exports, with Huang highlighting Shanghai as a key research and development hub.
Entities: Nvidia, Jensen Huang, Shanghai, Gong Zheng, US • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
19-04-2025
The US may cede space leadership to China if it cancels Nasa's Mars sample return programme, allowing China's Tianwen-3 mission to become the sole effort to retrieve Martian samples by 2031. Experts warn that the White House's proposed budget cuts would undermine US credibility and cooperation with international partners, while China's space programme continues to advance with clear goals.
Entities: US, China, Nasa, Mars, Tianwen-3 • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: warn
19-04-2025
Britain has nationalized its last steel mill, the Scunthorpe Steelworks, amid shifting global economic pressures. The mill has a history of being nationalized and privatized, and was most recently owned by a Chinese corporation. The development highlights the changing global economic order under trade, security, and financial pressures, with some attributing the shift to the effects of former US President Trump's policies.
Entities: Britain, Scunthorpe Steelworks, Trump, China, The Washington Post • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
