https://www.voanews.com/z/605 economy-and-business https://www.voanews.com/Content/responsive/VOA/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.voanews.com/z/605 en 2026 - VOA 60 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:54:19 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA The on-again, off-again tariffs between the United States and other countries are again under scrutiny, with the U.S. president not budging. VOA White House Correspondent Carolyn Presutti reports. https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-intent-on-imposing-global-tariffs/8010989.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-intent-on-imposing-global-tariffs/8010989.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:35:26 -0400 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Carolyn Presutti) NEW YORK — Wall Street's sell-off hit a new low Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump's escalating trade war dragged the S&P 500 more than 10% below its record, which was set just last month.A 10% drop is deemed a correction by professional investors, and the S&P 500's 1.4% slide on Thursday sent the index to its first since 2023. The losses came after Trump upped the stakes in his trade war by threatening huge taxes on European wines and alcohol. Not even a... https://www.voanews.com/a/wall-street-tumbles-10-below-its-record-after-trump-escalates-trade-war/8010009.html https://www.voanews.com/a/wall-street-tumbles-10-below-its-record-after-trump-escalates-trade-war/8010009.html Thu, 13 Mar 2025 17:14:25 -0400 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened the European Union with 200% tariffs on wine, champagne and other spirits produced in the 27-nation bloc after the EU levied what he said was “a nasty 50% tariff” on American-distilled whiskey.Trump contended in a post on his Truth Social media platform that the EU is “one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World.” He said it was formed in 1993 “for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United... https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-threatens-hefty-tariffs-on-european-spirits/8009495.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-threatens-hefty-tariffs-on-european-spirits/8009495.html Thu, 13 Mar 2025 11:18:14 -0400 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Ken Bredemeier) WASHINGTON — The U.S. budget deficit for the first five months of fiscal 2025 hit a record $1.147 trillion, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday, including a $307 billion February deficit for President Donald Trump's first full month in office that was up 4% from a year earlier.The October-February deficit, which included nearly four months until Jan. 20 under former president Joe Biden, topped the previous record $1.047 trillion from October 2020 to February 2021, a period marked... https://www.voanews.com/a/us-october-february-budget-deficit-hits-record-1-147-trillion/8009113.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-october-february-budget-deficit-hits-record-1-147-trillion/8009113.html Thu, 13 Mar 2025 02:37:10 -0400 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump met Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin on Wednesday for wide-ranging talks that reflected differences over trade and the conflict in Gaza, although both leaders pledged to expand cooperation between the two countries.The annual White House meeting around the time of St. Patrick's Day is usually a relatively straightforward affair for both the United States and Ireland.Trump, sitting next to Martin in the Oval Office, said "of course"... https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-irish-leader-meet-amid-differences-on-trade-gaza-war/8008689.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-irish-leader-meet-amid-differences-on-trade-gaza-war/8008689.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 18:11:22 -0400 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) All three major U.S. stock indexes dropped sharply in Monday's trading, with investors worried about the uncertainty of tariffs President Donald Trump imposed on key trading partners and his reluctance to rule out the possibility of a U.S. recession in the coming months.  The key Dow Jones average of 30 blue chip stocks dropped 2.1% by the end of trading Monday, with the broader S&P 500 index falling 2.7% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq barometer off 4%.  The S&P 500 had its biggest... https://www.voanews.com/a/us-stocks-drop-sharply-as-trump-hedges-on-recession-/8005502.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-stocks-drop-sharply-as-trump-hedges-on-recession-/8005502.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:36:32 -0400 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) Berlin — A one-day strike by workers at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs and all the country's other main destinations, caused the cancelation of most flights on Monday. The 24-hour walkout, which started at midnight on Sunday, involves public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground and security staff. At Frankfurt Airport, 1,054 of the day's 1,116 scheduled takeoffs and landings had been canceled, German news agency dpa reported, citing... https://www.voanews.com/a/one-day-strike-at-13-german-airports-including-the-main-hubs-brings-most-flights-to-a-halt-/8005192.html https://www.voanews.com/a/one-day-strike-at-13-german-airports-including-the-main-hubs-brings-most-flights-to-a-halt-/8005192.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 10:07:20 -0400 Europewebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) U.S. President Donald Trump is keeping new tariffs in place on Mexico, Canada and China to pressure them to block the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl into the United States, top White House economic officials said Sunday. "If fentanyl ends, I think these [tariffs] will come off,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told NBC’s “Meet the Press” show. “But if fentanyl does not end, or he's uncertain about it, he will stay this way until he is comfortable,” he said. "This is... https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-to-keep-tariffs-to-pressure-mexico-canada-china-on-fentanyl-aides-say/8004380.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-to-keep-tariffs-to-pressure-mexico-canada-china-on-fentanyl-aides-say/8004380.html Sun, 09 Mar 2025 13:02:44 -0400 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Ken Bredemeier) NEW DELHI — India said Friday it is working to lower trade barriers with the United States as it tries to reach a bilateral trade deal with Washington this year. The two countries said after a February White House meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that they will try to reach a deal by fall, aiming to increase bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters Friday the objective... https://www.voanews.com/a/india-says-it-is-working-to-cut-tariffs-as-it-eyes-us-trade-deal/8003634.html https://www.voanews.com/a/india-says-it-is-working-to-cut-tariffs-as-it-eyes-us-trade-deal/8003634.html Sat, 08 Mar 2025 10:51:43 -0500 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Anjana Pasricha) WASHINGTON — Calls to revoke China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status have grown louder in recent months. In a memo released on the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump asked his Cabinet members to "assess legislative proposals regarding PNTR." Three days later, Republican Representative John Moolenaar, the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Democratic lawmaker Tom Suozzi introduced the first bipartisan bill... https://www.voanews.com/a/us-lawmaker-backs-tariffs-calls-for-changing-china-s-trade-status/8003484.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-lawmaker-backs-tariffs-calls-for-changing-china-s-trade-status/8003484.html Sat, 08 Mar 2025 04:41:27 -0500 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Peggy Chang) US President Donald Trump convened cryptocurrency leaders at the White House to talk about digital assets and his goal to build a strategic reserve of bitcoin. Michelle Quinn reports. Camera: Michelle Quinn https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-hosts-crypto-industry-leaders-at-white-house/8003447.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-hosts-crypto-industry-leaders-at-white-house/8003447.html Sat, 08 Mar 2025 00:54:20 -0500 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Michelle Quinn) President Donald Trump said Friday that he was committed to making the U.S. a world leader in cryptocurrencies as industry leaders heaped praise on him for reversing what they said had been unfair attacks on digital assets by the previous administration. "I thought it was very important that we stay in the front of this one," Trump said at the first-ever White House "Crypto Summit." A former crypto-skeptic, Trump has warmly embraced an industry that's shown him... https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-tells-crypto-leaders-he-s-committed-to-helping-their-industry/8003353.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-tells-crypto-leaders-he-s-committed-to-helping-their-industry/8003353.html Fri, 07 Mar 2025 19:36:07 -0500 Economywebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added a solid 151,000 jobs last month, but the outlook is cloudy as President Donald Trump threatens a trade war, trims the federal workforce and promises to deport millions of immigrants. The Labor Department reported Friday that hiring was up from a revised 125,000 in January. Economists had expected 160,000 new jobs last month. The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.1% as the number jobless Americans rose by 203,000. Employment rose in health care,... https://www.voanews.com/a/us-employers-add-151-000-jobs-unemployment-up-to-4-1-/8002498.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-employers-add-151-000-jobs-unemployment-up-to-4-1-/8002498.html Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:11:57 -0500 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Beijing’s next moves may be cautious, though, analysts say https://www.voanews.com/a/china-criticizes-us-tariffs-and-presents-itself-as-a-responsible-major-power-/8002188.html https://www.voanews.com/a/china-criticizes-us-tariffs-and-presents-itself-as-a-responsible-major-power-/8002188.html Fri, 07 Mar 2025 06:47:27 -0500 China Newswebdesk@voanews.com (William Gallo) TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday criticized the United States for imposing tariffs on Chinese imports and vowed to "resolutely retaliate" if Washington continues to increase pressure on Beijing. Speaking to local and foreign media outlets during the annual meeting of China’s parliament on Friday, Wang questioned the effectiveness of the U.S. government’s tariffs against China and called on Washington to avoid conflicts and confrontation. "The U.S.... https://www.voanews.com/a/china-criticizes-trump-tariffs-threatens-possible-retaliation/8002145.html https://www.voanews.com/a/china-criticizes-trump-tariffs-threatens-possible-retaliation/8002145.html Fri, 07 Mar 2025 04:38:16 -0500 China Newswebdesk@voanews.com (William Yang) WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday hosts top cryptocurrency players at the White House, a political boost for an industry that has struggled to gain legitimacy -- and where the Republican president faces conflict of interest concerns. The president's "crypto czar," Silicon Valley investor David Sacks, has invited prominent founders, CEOs and investors along with members of a Trump working group, to craft policies aimed at accelerating crypto growth, and... https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-to-host-white-house-crypto-summit/8002141.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-to-host-white-house-crypto-summit/8002141.html Fri, 07 Mar 2025 04:08:40 -0500 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Agence France-Presse) President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday establishing a government reserve of bitcoin, a key marker in the cryptocurrency's journey toward possible mainstream acceptance. Under Trump's new order, the U.S. government will retain the estimated 200,000 bitcoin it's already seized in criminal and civil proceedings, according to Trump's "crypto czar" David Sacks. "The U.S. will not sell any bitcoin deposited into the Reserve. It will be kept... https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-signs-executive-order-to-establish-government-bitcoin-reserve/8002086.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-signs-executive-order-to-establish-government-bitcoin-reserve/8002086.html Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:16:24 -0500 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) Top diplomats from the United States and Canada held talks Wednesday that included discussion of trade, while U.S. President Donald Trump delayed a new 25% tariff on vehicle imports from Canada and Mexico for a month. The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly collaborated on “shared global challenges, secure borders, reciprocal trade, and economic prosperity.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that... https://www.voanews.com/a/us-canadian-leaders-discuss-trade-amid-new-us-tariffs/8000867.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-canadian-leaders-discuss-trade-amid-new-us-tariffs/8000867.html Thu, 06 Mar 2025 07:12:39 -0500 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) BEIJING — China's finance minister on Thursday left the door open to more stimulus measures on top of those announced at the annual parliament meeting this week, in the event the tariff-hit economy veers off its track towards its roughly 5% growth target. Lan Foan, speaking to the media alongside other officials a day after Premier Li Qiang's annual address to lawmakers, said China had ample policy room to deal with any domestic and external threats to economic growth. The... https://www.voanews.com/a/china-has-ample-policy-room-to-deal-with-economic-risks-finance-minister-says/8000767.html https://www.voanews.com/a/china-has-ample-policy-room-to-deal-with-economic-risks-finance-minister-says/8000767.html Thu, 06 Mar 2025 03:33:58 -0500 China Newswebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) Canada, Mexico and China all said Tuesday they will impose retaliatory tariffs on imported American goods after U.S. President Donald Trump levied new tariffs on their exports to the United States. The United States imposed new 25% tariffs Tuesday on exports from its two biggest trading partners, Mexico and Canada, and doubled an earlier 10% tariff on Chinese imports to 20%. Trump, in an address to Congress late Tuesday, also pledged to put in place reciprocal tariffs on other nations... https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-says-25-canada-mexico-tariffs-to-take-effect-on-tuesday-/7995864.html https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-says-25-canada-mexico-tariffs-to-take-effect-on-tuesday-/7995864.html Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:43:03 -0500 USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Ken Bredemeier)