Summary

  • Donald Trump says he has no plans to pause global tariffs as the world's stock markets experience another turbulent day

  • Speaking to reporters inside the Oval Office, Trump reiterates that he'll impose an extra 50% tariff on Beijing if it doesn't withdraw its retaliatory levy by midday tomorrow

  • If imposed, it could leave some US companies bringing in certain goods from China facing a 104% tax

  • It comes as Europe's biggest stock markets - including London's FTSE 100 - have all closed over 4% down

  • US markets - which saw big swings throughout the day - got a bit of a breather, as the tech-heavy Nasdaq managed to close in positive territory

  • The Dow Jones closed down 0.91%, while in its third consecutive day of losses, the S&P 500 fell 0.23%

Media caption,

Watch: Trump says US 'not looking into' pausing tariffs

  1. To retaliate or to negotiate? That’s the question – a recappublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 6 April

    It’s almost 08:30 now in Washington DC.

    If you’re in the US and just waking up – or tuning in from anywhere else – here’s a look at the key lines from the day so far:

    • World leaders are weighing how to respond to the tariffs announced by Donald Trump last week, which unsettled the markets
    • So far, only a few countries like China and Canada have announced retaliation measures
    • Others are trying to negotiate, with Taiwan and Indonesia saying they won't hit back, and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to Washington for talks
    • As a reminder, a 10% “baseline” tariff on most countries came into force on Saturday, though some countries are also facing additional levies on imports – we’ve crunched the numbers here
    • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he’s ready to use industrial policy to “shelter British business from the storm”
    • Yesterday, protesters across the US – and around the world – took part in anti-Trump rallies, many voicing anger over the president’s new trade policies

    We’ll keep bringing you live updates throughout the day – stay with us.

  2. Taiwan promises no retaliatory tariffs on USpublished at 13:11 British Summer Time 6 April

    Taiwan's President Lai Ching-teImage source, Reuters

    Taiwan has joined the group of countries saying they won’t impose retaliatory tariffs on the US, President Lai Ching-te has announced.

    But Taipei will remove trade barriers, gradually boost its investments in the US and "deepen" industrial cooperation with the White House, Lai tells a meeting of executives at his residence.

    Just to recap, Donald Trump imposed a 32% levy on exports from Taiwan – higher than the 10% "baseline" tariff placed on all countries.

  3. The concern is 'do we face recession', says UK business leaderpublished at 13:01 British Summer Time 6 April

    British business owners have also been sharing their concerns with Laura Kuenssberg.

    Lynn Calder, boss of carmaker INEOS Automotive, says “everyone is going to hurt from this”.

    “As a small, growing brand, the US is so important to us – over 60% of our sales at the moment,” she adds.

    Steve Rigby, co-chief executive of tech firm Rigby Group, shares Calder’s worries about the impact of tariffs on UK businesses.

    “The concern for all of us right now – we've all seen the capital markets moving very, very actively in the last two days – is do we face a recession,” he says.

    But Rigby says the UK government is “playing exactly the game that they should play right now” by not taking any retaliatory action.

  4. 'Tariffs make life more expensive for British consumers' - Tory leaderpublished at 12:46 British Summer Time 6 April

    Jennifer Meierhans
    Business reporter

    Media caption,

    "The most important thing is to remove the tariffs," says Kemi Badenoch

    Also appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg was Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.

    "The retaliatory tariffs (in the US) will make people in our country poorer," she says on the show. "There is a place for tariffs, we did use them, but right now what they will do is make life more expensive for British consumers."

    "The tariffs are going to be destructive for our businesses," she adds.

  5. Globalisation has 'come to an end' - treasury ministerpublished at 12:30 British Summer Time 6 April

    Jennifer Meierhans
    Business reporter

    Treasury minister Darren Jones wearing a navy blue suit and tie sitting in a red chair on the set of the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme

    Here's more from Treasury minister Darren Jones.

    Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, he is asked: "Do you think that actually the globalisation as we've known it for decades is now over - that era where we can all get cheap fast fashion or cheap TVs and cheap cars because globalisation works in that way - do you think that's done?"

    Jones replies: "Yeah, it's ended. Globalisation, as we've known it for the last number of decades, has come to an end.

    "That's why we need Britain to be strong and resilient, also build out our relationships with our allies and partners around the world."

    He says this is why the government needs to invest in the domestic economy, support UK businesses and public services, and make sure there are well-skilled workers to fill jobs.

  6. UK treasury minister won't say if US tariffs can be scrappedpublished at 12:15 British Summer Time 6 April

    Jennifer Meierhans
    Business reporter

    Earlier, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones is asked on the BBC whether the UK government believes it can scrap the 10% tariff on its exports to the US.

    He doesn't answer the question directly, but tells the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: "We’ve been clear that we are disappointed by the tariffs."

    He says the government is focused on negotiating a trade deal with the US to "identify the points of friction and be able to lift those to improve trade".

  7. BBC Verify

    Remind me, how did the US work out the tariff numbers?published at 12:00 British Summer Time 6 April

    Donald Trump holding a sign showing various tariff ratesImage source, Reuters

    If you scan across Donald Trump’s tariff chart, you'll see that the value in the second column equals roughly half of the number in the first column for most countries. There's a reason for that.

    The two columns represent:

    1. Tariffs that countries supposedly charge the US
    2. Tariffs the US will impose on other countries

    Initially, it was assumed that the figures were based on existing tariffs plus other trade barriers (like regulations and licensing rules) which make trade harder.

    But, the White House has now published its official methodology, and it turns out there is a simple equation behind it

    The calculations are based on a country’s goods trade deficit with the US. In other words, how much more the US imports than it exports. This number is then divided by the total value of imports from that country.

    Let's use China as an example: The US buys more goods from China than it sells to them - there is a goods deficit of $295bn and the total amount of goods it buys from China is $440bn.

    Then, we find the percentage difference between those two numbers, which = 67% - that's the number which appears in the first column of Trump’s chart.

    And to work out column two - the tariff the US wishes to impose - you simply divide that number by two.

    So in China’s case, the result is 34, and there you have the tariff.

  8. Indonesia says it won't impose retaliatory measurespublished at 11:44 British Summer Time 6 April

    Indonesia Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga HartartoImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

    The Indonesian government says it won't retaliate against Donald Trump's tariffs, after the US president announced an additional 32% levy on its exports on Wednesday.

    In a statement, chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto says Jakarta will pursue negotiations to find a solution.

    It comes after some countries, including the UK, chose not to announce reciprocal tariffs on the US.

    Others, like China – one of the countries hit hardest by Trump's tariffs – have announced counter-measures.

  9. US tariffs hit Iran too – but existing sanctions mean the impact is smallpublished at 11:29 British Summer Time 6 April

    BBC Persian

    Iran is one of several countries facing a 10% US import tariff under measures brought in by the Trump administration.

    But because of the limited trade between Iran and the US, the impact is expected to be minimal.

    Since the 1979 revolution, trade between the two countries has shrunk. In 2024, total trade is estimated at just $100m (£78m).

    Iranian exports – mostly niche food items – barely topped $170,000, while US exports, mainly medicines and farm products, reached around $94m.

    It's still unclear if countries that import oil and fuel from the US will respond with their own tariffs. But with long-standing sanctions on Iranian oil exports, Tehran is unlikely to gain.

    Ironically, isolation may shield Iran from shocks, although it also blocks new opportunities.

    A man repaints a mural reading "Down With the USA" on a buildingImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
    Image caption,

    An Iranian painter repaints an anti-US murals in Tehran, Iran

  10. Analysis

    Tariff-less Russia sees Trump's move as 'important signal' towards better relationspublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 6 April

    Steven Rosenberg
    Moscow correspondent

    President Trump hit more than 180 countries with tariffs. But not Russia.

    The pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper interpreted that as “an important signal of some kind of normalisation of relations [with America].”

    It wouldn’t be the first. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, he’s made it clear he’s ready to repair US-Russian ties.

    There have been Trump-Putin phone calls and high-level US-Russia negotiations, both on Ukraine and on diplomatic ties between Moscow and Washington.

    There’s also talk about potential economic co-operation between the two countries.

    However, in recent days there have been very different signals coming from the White House suggesting that President Trump has been growing impatient with Moscow and now suspects that Russia is dragging its heels over ending the war in Ukraine.

    Cars drive in front of Moscow's Kremlin along Tverskaya street in MoscowImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
  11. For Turkey, US tariff may open up opportunitiespublished at 10:45 British Summer Time 6 April

    Onur Erem
    BBC News Turkish

    Turkey is one of the countries only facing the 10% baseline tariff, so there hasn’t been much panic there.

    The Turkish stock exchange fell by about 1% on Friday – much less than the drops seen on the FTSE or Nasdaq.

    A 10% tariff can hurt some exports in Turkey, but not in a major way. In fact, it might even open up opportunities for Turkish firms to compete in the US market, as other countries, including some in Asia, are facing higher tariffs.

    Turkey’s top exports to the US include metals, machinery, carpets, vehicles and electronics. With higher tariffs hitting other countries, US firms may look to Turkey instead.

    A general view of Haydarpasa port at the Bosphorus in IstanbulImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
  12. Deals and retaliation: How other countries are respondingpublished at 10:21 British Summer Time 6 April

    Trump’s 10% tariff on most imports to the US came into effect yesterday, with higher rates for countries labelled the "worst offenders" due from 9 April.

    Here’s how others are responding:

    Retaliation

    • Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to retaliate soon "with purpose and with force". Carney also said Canada would match the US's previously announced auto tariffs, with 25% levies on all US-imported vehicles that are not compliant with the North American free trade deal
    • China, facing a total 54% tariff, says it will impose an extra 34% on US goods from 10 April

    Negotiation

    • On Friday, Trump said he had a "very productive call" with To Lam, head of Vietnam’s Communist Party, over tariffs. The US plans to hit Vietnam with 46% tariffs from 9 April
    • Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Trump at the White House on Monday

    Financial support

    • Taiwan has announced T$88bn ($2.67bn; £2.1bn) in support for affected businesses, as it faces a new 32% tariff rate
    • Spain will offer €14.1bn ($15.66bn; £11.9bn) in loans and aid

    Read more on how other countries have responded to Trump's tariffs here

  13. Netanyahu heads to Washington for tariff talkspublished at 09:51 British Summer Time 6 April

    Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu walk into the Oval Office. Trump's hand is on Netanyahu's back.Image source, Getty Images

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to the White House to discuss tariffs and other issues with US President Donald Trump, his office said., external

    The meeting, scheduled for Monday, comes after the Trump administration imposed 17% tariffs on Israeli exports to the US, despite Israel lifting tariffs on imports from the US ahead of the Trump announcement.

    Netanyahu will be the first leader to meet with Trump after the US imposed global tariffs.

    Israeli exporters hope Netanyahu can negotiate to get Trump to lower or possibly remove tariffs.

  14. Coffee machine maker: 'Cheap rival products could damage UK manufacturers'published at 09:26 British Summer Time 6 April

    An employee works on the coffee machine production line at Fracino coffee machine manufacturers in Birmingham.Image source, Getty Images

    Birmingham-based coffee machine maker Fracino, which exports around the world, says the 10% UK tariffs should only have a “minimal impact” on the business.

    Peter Atmore, head of global sales and marketing, points to the recent weakening of the dollar against the pound. If that trend continues, he says the tariffs could be “fairly easily negated”.

    He also says their main competition in the US comes from European manufacturers, who face a 20% tariff, while Chinese firms are hit with 54%. That means rival products are likely to become much more expensive.

    But there could be consequences at home.

    “I guess our biggest concern and threat is that these countries will dump products destined for the US market into the UK at ‘clearance’ prices and damage our well-established home market,” he says.

    Atmore says the government must “manage rapid support and protection very robustly” if it wants to support British manufacturers.

  15. Starmer's response to Trump tariffs is both to slow down and go fasterpublished at 09:03 British Summer Time 6 April

    Laura Kuenssberg
    Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

    Two treated image of Keir Starmer leading a panel with an image of Laura Kuenssberg edited on the sideImage source, Getty Images

    The UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is spending another dramatic weekend working the phones from the peace of his country pad, Chequers.

    So far, the other calls that could really matter, from US negotiators, have not yet resumed.

    Trump dangled a possible trade deal that might exempt the UK from some of the costs from tariffs during the pair's chummy White House press conference in February.

    There have been significant negotiations since then by a team of around 20, led out of No 10 by Michael Ellam, the Treasury and banking veteran, and the PM's business adviser Varun Chandra alongside the business secretary.

    Those talks included ideas about the UK watering down rules on electric vehicles, possible changes to a tax on tech companies ("space to talk about it", one minister says) and changes to online safety rules ("not happening", says a government source).

    But as the US government prepared for its announcements on Wednesday, talks about a deal ground to a halt.

  16. Trump has turned his back on the foundation of US economic mightpublished at 08:43 British Summer Time 6 April

    Faisal Islam
    Economics editor

    A treated collage of a large container ship on the right and an image of US president Donald Trump on the left pointingImage source, Getty Images

    President Donald Trump has built another wall, and he thinks everyone else is going to pay for it.

    But his decision to impose sweeping tariffs of at least 10% on almost every product that enters the US is essentially a wall designed to keep work and jobs within it, rather than immigrants out.

    The height of this wall needs to be put in historical context.

    What occurred this week was not just the US starting a global trade war, or sparking a rout in stock markets. It was the world's hyper power firmly turning its back on the globalisation process it had championed, and from which it handsomely profited in recent decades.

    And in so doing, using the equation that underpinned his grand tariff reveal on the Rose Garden's lawns, the White House also turned its back on some fundamentals of both conventional economics and diplomacy.

  17. EU set to face new 20% US tariff next weekpublished at 08:22 British Summer Time 6 April

    Elon Musk might be hoping for a "zero-tariff situation", but the reality is the EU is set to face a new 20% US tariff from 9 April.

    A 10% "baseline" tariff on all US imports came into effect yesterday, but the EU is one of several countries and territories that will be hit with extra, custom tariffs.

    White House officials describe these as specific "reciprocal" tariffs on what it calls the "worst offenders".

    This includes countries charge higher tariffs on US goods, impose "non-tariff" barriers to US trade or have otherwise acted in ways, the White House feels, undermine American economic goals.

    Here's a list of the total tariffs some countries are facing:

    Table showing 'How US tariffs hit different countries', including the EU who will face a 20% tariff from the US and China who will face a 34% tariff.
  18. Anti-Trump protests in picturespublished at 07:56 British Summer Time 6 April

    Thousands of protesters across the US took to the streets yesterday in the biggest nationwide show of opposition since Donald Trump returned to office in January.

    They voiced a range of concerns about his agenda, with some carrying signs calling for an end to tariffs.

    Large crowd of protesters behind a giant Trump balloonImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    A large crowd gathers beneath a floating balloon caricaturing Trump in Los Angeles

    New York's Fifth Avenue filled with protestersImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Protesters packed New York's Fifth Avenue

    Protester holds an End the Tariffs sign in a crowdImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Protests were also held in Atlanta, Georgia

    Protesters gathered outside the Washington Monument in the US capitalImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    And many gathered at the Washington Monument in the US capital

    Crowd of protesters in Trafalgar Square
    Image caption,

    Protests are also taking place outside the US, with this crowd gathering in London's Trafalgar Square

  19. Elon Musk hopes for 'zero-tariff situation' between US and Europepublished at 07:26 British Summer Time 6 April

    Elon Musk stands in front of a red and white striped background, holding a microphone, with a jacket with his surname on.Image source, Reuters

    Elon Musk, one of Trump's closest advisers, has said he hoped for a "zero-tariff situation" between the US and Europe.

    "I hope it is agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero-tariff situation, effectively creating a free-trade zone between Europe and North America," he said on Saturday in a live discussion with Italy's hard-line deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini.

    "And more freedom for people to move between Europe and North America, if they wish," he continued, adding, "that has certainly been my advice to the president".

    It appeared to be Musk's first remarks about the tariff rollout.

    He also criticised Europe for its "stifling" regulations, saying they made it a bad place to start a new business.

  20. Starmer says he'll 'shelter British business from the storm'published at 06:58 British Summer Time 6 April

    Starmer outside Downing StreetImage source, Reuters

    Donald Trump's 10% baseline tariff came into effect yesterday, hitting the UK along with many other countries.

    In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says "the world as we knew it has gone". He says he’ll keep pushing for an economic deal with the US to avoid some of the tariffs, but also suggests the government could step in to protect British interests.

    “We stand ready to use industrial policy to help shelter British business from the storm,” he writes in the Sunday Telegraph, external.

    “Some people may feel uncomfortable about this – the idea the state should intervene directly to shape the market has often been derided,” he says.

    “But we simply cannot cling on to old sentiments when the world is turning this fast.”

    He also says the UK will work to strengthen alliances and cut trade barriers with other countries, and that the government will “turbocharge plans” to make Britain less vulnerable to “global shocks” in the market.