Here's Why

Donald Trump's election sparked a frenzy of optimism in the crypto world, but his much-heralded announcement of a strategic Bitcoin reserve left investors disappointed. The biggest digital token slumped further from its record highs. Bloomberg's Executive Editor for Crypto, stacy-marie ishmael joins host Stephen Carroll to explain why. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World leaders have been left reeling by the flurry of announcements from Donald Trump since he returned to the White House. The US President has penalised America's allies, made overtures to autocrats, and thrown out international conventions. Markets, too, are increasingly uncertain about what the future holds. Bloomberg's Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss Donald Trump's approach to international relations. For more stories like this one go to bloomberg.com/explainers See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump delivered on his threat to hit Canada and Mexico with sweeping import levies and doubled an existing charge on China, spurring swift reprisals that plunged the world economy into a deepening trade war. This podcast brings you the latest details and analysis, from Nathan Hager and Karen Moskow on Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition. You can subscribe to the Bloomberg Daybreak podcast here: Apple: http://bit.ly/3DWYoAN Spotify: http://spoti.fi/45IG5LR The US new tariffs — 25% duties on most Canadian and Mexican imports and raising the charge on China to 20% — impact roughly $1.5 trillion in annual imports, an expansive move signaling to markets that the Republican president is committed to wielding import duties to obtain fresh revenue and create domestic manufacturing jobs. Canada hit back with phased levies on $107 billion worth of US goods while China imposed tariffs of as high as 15%, mainly on American agricultural shipments. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday said her government would await Trump’s decision before reacting with any retaliatory measures and is expected to address reporters on Tuesday morning local time. The moves mark a new phase in Trump’s broadening economic and diplomatic reset of America’s place in the world. Confirmation of the levies lays to rest doubts the US president would actually follow through on his repeated threats to upend global economic ties to counter what he casts as imbalanced trade. “We are in a new era where the mantra is to protect markets and the US is leading in this,” said Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Natixis. “China retaliated focusing on Trump’s staunchest voters in the agriculture sector. But that is not going to stop him.” The tariffs bring American import levies to their highest average level seen since 1943, according to the Budget Lab at Yale. That would lead to as much as $2,000 in additional costs for US households. It also will mean significantly slower economic growth in the US, especially if other countries retaliate, according to a report published Monday. And Trump has indicated more tariffs are to come, including in April reciprocal tariffs on all US trading partners that have their own levies or other barriers on American products, as well as sectoral taxes of 25% on cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. Those tariffs are also poised to be cumulative — in addition to any across-the-board tariff on a particular nation. Trump has also said a 25% tariff is in the works for the European Union and is investigating levies on copper and lumber imports. Steel and aluminum tariffs are also set to take effect on March 12, further impacting Canada and Mexico. Financial markets largely took the moment the tariffs came into effect in stride — with Chinese stocks even climbing intraday. In the run-up to the deadline, though, US equities tumbled the most this year, while Treasury yields earlier fell to the lowest in four months and oil dropped to a three-month low. The Canadian government late Monday announced it will proceed with a sweeping package of counter-tariffs against US-made products. The first stage is 25% tariffs on about C$30 billion ($20.6 billion) worth of goods from US exporters to go into effect at the same time as the US levies. A second round of tariffs at the same rate will be placed on C$125 billion of products in three weeks — a list that will include big-ticket items like cars, trucks, steel and aluminum. “Canada will not let this unjustified decision go unanswered,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement. The retaliation plan is the same as the one he announced in February after Trump signed his executive order for broad tariffs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump's unconventional policies and high-stakes manoeuvres have shaken up global trade and security, now Wall Street is wondering if the global financial system may be next. The concept has been called the "Mar-a-Lago Accord" and its aim would be to weaken the US dollar to help American exporters. But the idea faces hurdles and pitfalls, so what would be involved in a "Mar-a-Lago Accord"? Our Global Economics Correspondent, Enda Curran, joins host Caroline Hepker to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talks over ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine have begun with a meeting between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia. Efforts to secure a ceasefire have accelerated since Donald Trump returned to the White House, and re-established contact with Vladimir Putin. How will Trump negotiate with the Russian President? Our senior writer Stephanie Baker, author of 'Punishing Putin', joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Environmental, social and governance rules have come under additional pressure since the election of Donald Trump as US President. American businesses have also called for the European Union to roll back its ESG regulations, and France and Germany have indicated they want changes too. But how far will these efforts go? Our Managing Editor for ESG Investing, Tasneem Brogger, joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It took just two weeks for Donald Trump to impose the first trade tariffs since returning to the White House. His move to impose levies on China, and threats to Canada and Mexico, have political and business leaders scrambling to rethink complex supply chains and assess the economic impact. But if relations improve, how easy are these measures to unwind? Bloomberg's Trade Tsar Brendan Murray joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek shot to global fame after the launch of its R1 chatbot, seen as a rival to the likes of ChatGPT. But how disruptive will its apparently cheaper business model be to the global tech industry? Bloomberg's Tom Mackenzie joins us to explain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has started his Presidency by signing dozens of executive orders, taking action in areas from energy, to immigration, to withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization and the Paris climate accord. How powerful are these instruments, and how can they be challenged? Bloomberg White House reporter Hadriana Lowenkron joins host Stephen Carroll to explain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immigrants have long been part of the economic success story of the United States. Many economists and business leaders credit immigration for filling vacancies across the economy, but Donald Trump and many of his allies accuse immigrants of lowering wages and taking jobs from native-born Americans. He's pledged to crack down on illegal immigration and carry out the biggest deportation plan in US history. But what would that mean for growth, inflation and employment? Bloomberg Senior Editor Derek Wallbank joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Move over artificial intelligence, a new technological game-changer is coming. Developers of quantum computers say they will deliver huge advancements in fields from drug development to financial modelling. Some of the world's biggest tech companies, investors and governments are pouring billions into making them a reality. Our reporter Isabella Ward tells us what to expect. Hosted by Stephen Carroll. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SpaceX recently cemented its status as the world's most valuable private startup, with a share sale that valued it at about $350 billion. Meanwhile, OpenAI's last fundraising round valued it at $157 billion. Despite huge interest from investors, these names are among many fast-growing companies which are opting not to list their shares on public markets. Bloomberg's Bailey Lipschultz, who covers how companies go public, joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran has lost a key regional ally with the toppling of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. Tehran's other proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, are also weakened after over a year of fighting with Israel. What influence does Iran have left in the Middle East? Bloomberg's Head of Iran coverage Golnar Motevalli joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's Why host Stephen Carroll is in France this week covering the deepening political crisis that has gripped the country. We wanted to bring you a special episode of Bloomberg's Big Take podcast that he's been contributing to while there. We'll be back next week with a normal episode of the show. The Big Take: After No-Confidence Vote, France Faces Tumult and Uncertainty The government of French President Emmanuel Macron collapsed Wednesday after losing a no-confidence vote. The outcome brings the country one step closer to a far-right government — the one thing President Macron has sought to avoid at all costs. Bloomberg’s Stephen Carroll and Big Take co-host David Gura break down the current pressures on France’s government, what led to the vote and what we know about what comes next. Listen and follow The Big Take on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Central banks in the US and Europe have been cutting interest rates as inflation slows close to their 2% target. But while the price surge of 2022 is behind us, the outlook for the next year looks less certain. How will trade tariffs, a strong dollar or other shocks affect the outlook for prices? Bloomberg Opinion columnist Daniel Moss joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public health experts have expressed alarm over Donald Trump picking a vaccine-skeptic to head the US Department of Health and Human Services. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination comes as falling vaccination rates for diseases such as measles have led to a spike in cases globally. What's behind anti-vaccine sentiment, how is it evolving and what effect is it having on public health? Sam Fazeli, PhD in pharmacology and Director of Research at Bloomberg Intelligence, joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crypto assets, including Bitcoin, have surged in value since Donald Trump won the US Presidential election. The President-elect has gone from being a crypto-skeptic to promising more friendly regulation for the sector. Our crypto reporter Emily Nicolle joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss whether the hopes are well founded. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During his first term as President, Donald Trump imposed tariffs on around $380 billion of imports. He has now promised to go further, with a 20% levy on all imported goods and 60% on Chinese products. Bloomberg's trade tsar Brendan Murray joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss how and when the tariffs might come, and who needs to worry most What would YOU like to hear about on Bloomberg? Help make shows like ours even better by taking our Bloomberg audience survey. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2020, it took almost four days to find out who had been elected US President. In 2000, the decision from the Supreme Court didn't come until mid-December. This year, a high number of mail-in ballots, the closeness of the race and new election processes in some states may mean it takes longer to determine a winner. Our Washington DC editor Magan Crane joins host Stephen Carroll to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The popularity of nuclear power has seen major swings since the first reactor went into commercial operation some 70 years ago. As countries look for ways of securing their future energy supplies, interest in nuclear has been revived. Could power-hungry artificial intelligence be another catalyst? Our reporter Jonathan Tirone joins host Stephen Carroll to explain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.