World Business Report

President Trump says the US will export record volumes of liquified natural gas to Japan.

And USAID should be closed down, according to Trump.

Also on the programme today, the British government has demanded that Apple provide its security agencies with backdoor access to encrypted data stored by users across the world.

And now that the wildfires around Los Angeles have been contained, how will the region recover and rebuild?

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

U.S. President Donald Trump hosts the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for the first time, as the two allies work to boost business and security ties.

But, given Japan runs a trade defecit with America - can the two stay on friendly economic terms? We hear from one business owner who certainly hopes so...

Also on the programme today we'll be live at a major meeting of those looking to mine critical minerals in Africa.

And it's Super Bowl Sunday in the United States this weekend and that means a lot of people watching television adverts which cost companies million dollars. Despite their cost, are these ads good for business?

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver his first State of the Nation address since last year's elections, focusing on development and driving economic growth, job creation, and development. Norwegian energy giant Equinor is halving investment in renewable energy over the next two years while increasing oil and gas production. And Sam Fenwick also hears about more than 100 farmers in County Kerry in southwest Ireland, who are set to become millionaires after their dairy cooperative agreed to sell its shares to the Kerry Group, one of Ireland's biggest food producers.

China complains to the World Trade Organisation about Donald Trump's tariffs, but with no active judging panel, what can the WTO do?

Roger Hearing discusses why the US Postal Service has U-turned after refusing to handle any parcels from China and Hong Kong, as well as the growing trade war between the World's two leading economies.

Elsewhere, the issue of de-banking has been debated in the US Congress, so are financial institutions discriminating against certain groups or industries?

And a man from Indonesia has been hired as Japan's first-ever foreign bus driver. Does this show the Japanese government's new determination to let in more overseas workers?

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

Economy and trade minister Carlos Cuerpo outlines the strong trade ties between Madrid and Beijing, with Spain importing large volumes of trucks, cars, vans and spare parts from China. After the United States, China is the European Union’s second-biggest trading partner.

Why has the US Postal Service changed its mind and is now accepting all packages from China and Hong Kong?

And Honda’s share price rises on reports a merger with Nissan may be called off.

The US China tariffs are still on, even if Donald Trump pressed pause on the ones on Mexico and Canada.

A call had been expected between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart... but it hasn't happened - and the US president says he's in no hurry. So, it's 10% on China's imports to the US and China has put on its own 10% on US goods and curbing exports of rare earth metals.

We'll bring you the latest in the trade war. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur tells Will Bain that more countries should up their military spending to five per cent of GDP, in an effort to combat Russian aggression. It follows US President Donald Trump's assertion that too many members of the NATO military alliance rely on America's military might and spending.

China announces retaliatory tariffs against the US after President Trump imposed a ten per cent tax on all Chinese imports. The counter-measures includes tax on coal, gas, oil and cars.

Plus we hear about why Germans take more sick leave than most - and hear about a iconic gaming franchise - The Sims, which celebrates 25 years.

US President Donald Trump and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau reached the deal. Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days.

We hear from the US, Canada and Mexico. What businesses should expect in the future?

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

Will Bain hears about a day of turmoil on the international stock and currency markets, after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada & Mexico at the weekend. Both nations have threatened to retaliate over the move, which will come into effect on Tuesday. In this special edition we hear from the US and Mexico, and get a European response too as fears of an international trade war intensify.

The US president, Donald Trump has confirmed to proceed with threatened tariffs against America's three biggest trade partners from Saturday and would impose a tax of twenty-five percent on imports from Mexico and Canada and ten percent on imports from China. We will look at David, a journalist with our US partner Marketplace, who bought a house just a few months ago and was burnt down by the California firestorms earlier this month, which destroyed at least 16 thousand buildings, and more than 9 thousand of them—mostly homes—were lost in and around the town of Altadena, about a half hour northeast of downtown Los Angeles. And BBC Technology editor, Zoe Kleinman, tested AI and has written a new book that took her about just a minute—and yet the book is out there—has a lot of significance for all artists and creators.

Many companies have left Myanmar since the 2021 military coup. The United Nations says 2025 will test the country’s economic resilience to its limits. We hear from a senior UN official involved in the report. Also, we recap a turbulent week in AI and look ahead to what could be a controversial budget in India. Plus, why are major global business and sports figures investing in a UK cricket league?

(Image: Relatives celebrate with a released prisoner (C) outside Insein prison on Myanmar's Independence Day in Yangon on January 4, 2025. Myanmar's embattled junta government on January 4 said it would release almost 6,000 prisoners as part of an annual amnesty to mark the country's independence day. Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Investigators from the US federal agency noted that mid-air collisions like this are rare in the US, and they said it was far too early to speculate on what caused the crash; however, we will look at crowded airspaces and complex issues surrounding airports. Also, economic growth in the US slowed at the end of last year, as trade and investment declined and the country was hit by hurricanes and strikes. And, shoplifting, shrinkage, the five-finger discount—whatever you call it—stealing from shops is on the rise. Here in the UK, the British Retail Consortium has told the BBC retail crime is "out of control."

Despite Europe's largest economy shrinking again in 2024, Sam Fenwick hears from the boss of toymaker Ravensburger, which is bucking the wider trend. Plus, what does leaving ECOWAS mean for Mali's economy? We ask a former foreign minister. Also, an American business lobbyist gives her take on whether or not President Trump will introduce tariffs on 1 February.

The Federal Reserve has kept interest rates on hold in its first decision of the year, despite sharp criticism from President Trump.

Plus, the US tech sector continues to feel the impact of a new budget-friendly Chinese AI app. We hear from the head of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing machine maker and the CEO behind the biggest AI chip.

And a look at how Ghana navigates the mysteries of cashew nut pricing.

Sam Fenwick takes a peek into AI profits: The Chief Executive and Founder of the Dutch Semiconductor manufacturing giant ASML tells us about its record-breaking year. Iceland's Payment Revolution: why Iceland is rolling out a new online payment system. Can airports spur economic growth? The UK government is optimistic they can. And Ghana's nutty boost: how a humble nut could significantly boost Ghana's economy. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is expected to announce major infrastructure projects, with the most significant being a long-debated third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. The plan has faced decades of planning and environmental hurdles.

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has reported annual losses nearing $12 billion, marking its worst performance in years.

And in California, winemakers warn that former President Donald Trump’s proposed deportation of undocumented migrants could devastate their industry.

The Boeing has just announced a huge loss in its latest financial results - we are be digging in to the latest woes to hit the embattled plane maker.

Also, today 24 wild hours on the financial markets for companies in the AI world - but did we learn something new or actually reveal a truth about the sector that was always there?

We look at the mining industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the growing conflict.

And it's holiday season in China and that means big business for the travel industry.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

On today's programme, Nvidia has lost its spot as the world’s most valuable company after the largest stock market drop in history.

Plus, the trade war between Colombia and the US is on hold—for now. But what could Donald Trump's tariffs mean for Colombia's economy?

And how does a global brand handle telling customers that its products might not be safe?

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voice note: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

The surge in popularity of Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) app DeepSeek has sparked a selloff of shares in major tech companies after it overtook rivals such as ChatGPT to become the top-rated free app on Apple's App Store. How will it affect the IT industry?

Also, we look at the US and Colombia as countries appear to have entered into a tit-for-tat trade war.

And the promise to electrify billions of homes across Sub-Saharan Africa at the ‘Mission 300’ conference being held in the Tanzanian Capital Dar Es Salaam.

You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033. We would love to hear from you!

We explore Donald Trump's bold assertion that lower oil prices could end the ongoing war in Ukraine. Having entered the White House with claims he could bring the conflict to a halt in 24 hours, Trump now believes pressuring OPEC to boost oil production could force President Putin to the negotiating table.

In Lebanon, the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has entered its second month. With Israel's forces still present in the south, We hear from Hani Bhosali, the President of Lebanon's Food Importers Syndicate, who sheds light on how businesses are coping and the mood on the ground.

And a new insurance policy is offering protection against cancel culture, providing a 24/7 hotline and crisis management plan. We explore how it works and whether it's the new must-have for celebrities facing public backlash.

The Trump administration in the United States is leading to a significant shift in policy and financial investment in companies involved in the global energy transition. We are discussing how this potentially will have an impact on energy and how industry might respond.

South Africa is grappling with severe water shortages, particularly in Johannesburg, due to inadequate resource management and infrastructure failure. The crisis poses an existential threat to the economy.

And former Liverpool CEO Peter Moore discusses his career in sportswear, gaming, and running a global football club.

How will Donald Trump's vision for the US economy affect its closest trading partners?

We hear about what's been discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and discuss what the US's protectionist policies mean for the Republic of Ireland's new government.

While a $7bn deal has been reached to compensate those devastated by the US opioid epidemic, we find out whether those that cause it will ever really pay the price?

And the Nepalese government has decided to increase the cost of climbing permits during the peak season from $11 thousand to $15 thousand. But how much should you be charged to climb the world's highest mountain?

The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC.

The big event of 2021 that will shape economies all over the world for decades to come was the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow in November. The meeting saw a deluge of promises, but what was actually achieved? Martin Webber speaks to Tim Gould, chief energy economist at the International Energy Agency and economist Irwin Stelzer, from the Hudson Institute in the United States.

It was another boom year for the pharmaceutical industry as it crafted the vaccines that have saved so many lives. Of the 8 billion coronavirus vaccinations worldwide, one billion have been delivered by the US logistics company, UPS. We hear from Wes Wealer, President of UPS healthcare.

And small business owners have had a bleak time for much of the past year. But many of those that have survived now feel optimistic. We hear from the owner of the Aroma speciality coffee shop in Bologna in Italy, Cristina Caroli, about her year.

Covid-19 is set to prompt radical long term changes to how we live and work, so what lessons can be learnt when we eventually emerge from the pandemic? Could the changes in the way we work herald higher productivity and happier people in the future?

We hear the stories of the people who managed to thrive during a very difficult year, including the milkman who saw a boom in deliveries and the dancer who found work in South Korea when the London stage went dark.

Martin Webber is joined by Professor Devi Sridhar who holds the Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh; economist Roger Bootle, of Capital Economics; Robert Reich, former Labour Secretary under President Clinton; Tomas Philipson, who was Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors under Mr Trump; and actor Thomas Inge who is currentl starring in the musical Cats in South Korea.