Business Matters

The new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss tariffs and the war in Ukraine. A report by the US Congressional Budget Office in Washington found Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s tax bill adds $2.4 trillion to US debt. Also, Rahul Tandon looks at the impact that hackers are having on some of the world's best-known retailers and other brands – North Face, Cartier and Victoria Secret are the latest companies being targeted. Throughout the programme, Rahul Tandon will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Karen Percy, a senior freelance reporter in Melbourne, Australia, and Walter Todd, President & Chief Investment Officer, Greenwood Capital, based in South Carolina, US.

The global steel industry is again braced to be impacted by Donald Trump's implementation of a 50% tariff, which he vowed last week in front of a crowd of steel workers in Pennsylvania. In South Korea, the liberal candidate, Lee Jae-myung, has been confirmed as the clear winner of the presidential election. The tech billionaire, Elon Musk, has stepped up his criticism of Donald Trump's planned tax and spending bill, calling it a "disgusting abomination". A White House spokeswoman said the president would not change his position on what he calls the "big beautiful bill". Throughout the programme, Rahul Tandon will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Andy Xie, an independent economist in Shanghai, China, and Anneke Green, Republican Political Strategist at Reach Global Strategies in Washington, US.

It's election day in South Korea, where voters are choosing the country's next president after months of unprecedented political turmoil affecting the country’s economy. For South Koreans, today's vote offers an opportunity to restore stability and forge ahead. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to hold a phone call to discuss tariffs and trade issues, according to the White House. In Canada, the Prime Minister is meeting with regional leaders to remove interprovincial trade barriers and making it easier for Canadians to trade with each other. Also, the Microsoft founder Bill Gates says improving the health and education of people in Africa will be the priority when he gives away most of his two hundred billion dollar fortune over the next twenty years, the majority of which will go to Africa. Throughout the programme, Rahul Tandon will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Peter Morici, economist and professor of business, who is in Alexandria, Virginia; and Sushma Ramachandran, independent journalist and columnist with the Tribune newspaper in Delhi.

American President Donald Trump has announced at a rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that the US will double tariffs on steel imports from 25% to 50% to boost the local steel industry. The announcement is the latest turn in Trump's rollercoaster approach to tariffs since re-entering office in January. Meanwhile, it was the last day at the White House for tech billionaire Elon Musk who has departed from his role at DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency.) We examine what he has achieved in the role, what his priorities will be at Tesla and Space X, and whether he and President Trump can remain friends And with the Indian economy showing a growth of 7.4% between January and March, beating analyst expectations, we analyse what’s behind the numbers and if the growth can continue To discuss these and the big global business news of the day, presenter Devina Gupta, is joined by Andy Uhler, journalism fellow at University of Texas Energy Institute in the US and Rachel Cartland, author and commentator based in Hong Kong.

After US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy got a last minute reprieve in the federal courts, we unpick the latest twist in American trade policy. Meanwhile, we hear from an international student at Harvard University caught up in the institution's legal battle with the Whitehouse. Elsewhere, we can reveal how western countries are helping fund Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And Devina Gupta speaks to the attorney at the centre of the 'largest settlement of a price-fixing case in Canadian history' that's worth $500-million. Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Nvidia, a huge success in the tech world, reported its latest quarterly earnings. The chipmaker, vying with Apple for the position of the world's richest company, beat expectations despite export controls. Elon Musk, , the billionaire and co-founder and CEO of Tesla, has criticised one of the signature policies of President Donald Trump, marking a break from the US president who he helped to win re-election in 2024. And the meat of brown bears, a protected species in the EU, could soon be available to eat in Slovakia after the populist government approved plans for sale. Roger hears from a food tour guide who tested the meat before. Throughout the programme, we will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Michael Malone, a veteran Silicon Valley journalist and host of the Silicon Insider podcast in the US, and Zyma Islam, senior reporter for The Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The US President, Donald Trump's administration, has ordered its embassies abroad to pause new applications for student and exchange visitor visas as it prepares to expand social media vetting of foreign students. We hear from former US Education Secretary Arne Duncan – who was in office during Obama’s presidency. Japanese-owned steelmaker Nippon Steel is expected to close its “partnership” with U.S. Steel at $55 per share, as the US media have reported. On Friday, last week, President Donald Trump said that he has cleared the deal. And Rahul Tandon hears how one woman’s quest to buy only US-made goods has been surprisingly difficult. Throughout the programme, we will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Erin McLaughlin, Senior Economist, The Conference Board in the US, and Simon Littlewood, President of ACG Global or a business consultant based in Singapore.

The United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to drop his threat to impose 50% tariffs on European Union imports and extend a deadline to negotiate tariffs with the EU by more than a month. In Argentina, the government has announced that its easing currency reporting rules to deal with dollars kept under mattresses. The Argentine government aims to unleash some $271 billion stashed away in mattresses, safes and foreign bank accounts. And Rahul Tandon will look at how Disney's live-action Lilo and Stitch remake beat Tom Cruise at the US box office. Lilo and Stitch, which revisits the 2002 animated family favourite, exceeded expectations with takings of $341m (£252m) around the world. Throughout the programme, we will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Sushma Ramachandran, an independent journalist and columnist with the Tribune newspaper in India, and Fermin Koop, a reporter on environmental and climate change in Argentina.

The European trade commissioner says the EU will defend its interests in trade talks with the United States. President Trump has threatened the bloc with fifty percent tariffs. Boeing is to avoid prosecution in a deal with the US Justice Department over a number of crashes. The deal includes the company admitting to obstructing federal aviation officials and paying $1.1 billion in fines. Presenter Rahul Tandon examines these stories and also hears how the murder of George Floyd inspired US banks to invest in small black businesses.

Donald Trump blocks Harvard from enrolling International students to root out anti-Americanism and antisemitism on campus. Harvard has called the move unlawful. A Business body in the United States has been giving reaction to Donald Trump's " big beautiful" bill. It contains tax cuts as well as money for defence spending and funds for his deportation programme. Presenter Rahul Tandon also looks at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission decision to drop a case which attempted to block Microsoft's $69-billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard. It has said the case against the long-closed deal was not in the public interest.

A trade talks meeting turned tense at the White House, when President Trump clashed with South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa over discredited claims of white genocide in South Africa. We hear from a key voice in the president Ramaphosa's advisory council. It's a big week for cryptocurrency - Bitcoin hit an all time high, the stablecoin legislation advance and President Trump get's ready to host his crypto dinner. And will the US Congress pass Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill'? In Japan, we hear why the agriculture minister has stepped down after making a joke about rice.

Elon Musk, the US’s largest political donor, plans to cut back on political spending after giving more than $250m on Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. What will that mean for his businesses like Tesla, X and SpaceX? In the EU, there are plans for a €2 fee on cheap parcels from China, hitting companies like Temu and Shein. Over in Canada, the recently re-elected Liberal government says it won't release a federal budget this year.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company makes advanced microchips is helping to shape the future of the global economy. It’s at the centre of a chip rivalry raging across the world – one of the key subplots of President Trumps trade war. The UK and the EU have reached a new deal setting out post-Brexit relations on areas including fishing rights, trade and defence. We hear from the Irish fishing community, a food exporter in the UK and what a "youth experience scheme" could mean for businesses in France. Andrew Peach is joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Jennifer Pak is in Shanghai and Peter Morici in Alexandria, Virginia.

The credit rating agency Moody’s has stripped the United States of its triple-A credit rating, warning investors about rising levels of government debt and a widening budget deficit. The agency has shifted the US rating down one notch to AA1, while changing its outlook from negative to stable. Novo Nordisk, the company that makes the weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, is abruptly ousting its chief executive, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, over concerns the firm is losing ground in the popular weight-loss drug market. Consumer boycotts of countries and companies are on the rise, with the latest being an Indian tourism boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan. This comes as some Canadians boycott the US, while others refuse to buy from some specific companies over their policies. We will be joined throughout the programme by Rahul Tandon is joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Lori Ann Larocco, senior editor at CNBC Business News in the US, and Peter Ryan, ABC's senior business correspondent in Australia.

Walmart is preparing to raise prices in the US as soon as this month, as its own costs increase as a result of the new tariffs on imports imposed by President Donald Trump. And we will look at President Trump saying that India offered to drop all tariffs on US goods, something India swiftly denied. Total airline revenue is expected to top 1 trillion US dollars for the first time ever this year, according to the International Air Transport Association. We will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world: Shoeb Kagda, an Indonesian journalist and businessman, and Alison Van Diggelen, host of Fresh Dialogues based in Silicon Valley, the US.

With the conflict in Ukraine continuing to have a huge impact on the global economy, what hopes are there for a ceasefire when Russia's president Vladimir Putin seems unwilling to participate in the peace talks in Turkey? We hear what the lifting of sanctions could mean for Syria's economy, and Rahul Tandon finds out why the challenges caused by US president Donald Trump's tariffs could be a big opportunity for Puerto Rico. Elsewhere, will a new government-led scheme in Argentina be able to change millions of peoples preference for saving money in secret stashes rather than at a bank? Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Sam Fenwick looks at the world's biggest business stories with guests Kimberly Adams in the US and David Kuo in Singapore. They'll find out how AI and arms are at the heart of the flurry of deals being made between the US and Saudi Arabia. Why is car maker Nissan cutting 20,000 jobs? And how British Airways says AI is helping the airline cut delays.

The retaliatory tit-for-tat rise in tariff rates between the US and China has been cancelled, following talks in Switzerland and the so-called "reciprocal" tariff rate of 34% is lowered to 10%. It's a ceasefire on what has become a global trade war as markets are rising again, and container ships can set sail across the Pacific. But economically, who benefits more from this short-term ceasefire—Washington or Beijing? Britain's Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has promised the government's new immigration measures will mean net migration falls "significantly" over the next four years. Keir Starmer unveiled plans to ban recruitment of care workers from overseas, tighten access to skilled worker visas and raise the costs to employers in an effort to curb near record net migration.

Join Roger Hearing ahead of this weekend's meeting in Switzerland of Chinese and American diplomats for trade talks this weekend. The stakes are high, as the outcome could reset the future of economic relations between the world’s two largest economies. Also, we hear how Chinese Auto makers, who struggle to sell vehicles in North America because of the import tariffs, are expanding rapidly in many markets around the world. And the government of Mexico is suing Google Maps over its decision to use the name "Gulf of America" instead of the longstanding "Gulf of Mexico".

Who is Pope Leo XIV? And how is he going to deal with the Vatican's finances? The US has agreed to reduce import taxes on a number of British goods - should we expect other deals on the way? The Spanish parliament is debating reducing the current workweek from 40 to 37.5 hours for over 12 million people, we hear why the Spanish business association thinks it's a bad idea. And not all of us have $200bn to give away, but Bill Gates does and he says he will. We find out why. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.