Business

The Trump administration's 10 percent tariffs on Chinese imports came into effect this Tuesday, leading to immediate retaliation from Beijing. In this special edition, we look at the different ways China retaliated to the US president's measures, which are supposed to stop the flow of the drug fentanyl to American shores. In addition, we see how last-minute talks led to both Mexico and Canada avoiding 25 percent US tariffs for at least 30 days and how businesses have reacted.

US President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China is partly aimed at curbing the flow of fentanyl into the United States, where the opioid is blamed for some 70,000 deaths annually. So how do those countries play a role in the trafficking of the drug? Plus, we take a closer look at how global car companies are particularly vulnerable to tariffs. 

Editors' note: Since this update, the US has also agreed to pause tariffs on Canadian imports. 

EU leaders say they're prepared to respond if and when US President Donald Trump imposes new tariffs on European imports to the US. But first, we take a closer look the US-Canada trading relationship. Meanwhile, North America's highly integrated auto manufacturing sector is threatened by Trump's latest trade salvo, and markets tank as investors flee high-risk assets.

Italy's data protection agency has moved to block the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek after its developers failed to hand over information about how personal data is collected and whether it's stored on Chinese servers. Meanwhile, the French privacy watchdog also says it's questioning DeepSeek. Plus, luxury cars, designer bags and gold bars were among some 300 items that went under the hammer in an auction of confiscated goods held by France's anti-fraud agency. 

America's central bank has held its main interest rate steady as President Donald Trump's trade policies threaten to rekindle inflation in the world's largest economy. The Federal Reserve resisted pressure from Trump to continue with cuts, in its first rate decision since his return to office. Also in this edition: France's GDP shrinks 0.1 percent in the last quarter of 2024 amid a budgetary impasse in parliament.

The European Commission has unveiled its long-awaited roadmap to revamp the sluggish economy. The "Competitiveness Compass" builds on recommendations from last year's report by former ECB president Mario Draghi. Plus, the UK government gives its backing to building a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport. 

Watch moreDavos 2025: How can Europe find the money to achieve its goals?

Luxury group LVMH says 2025 is off to a good start as it reports an increase in sales in its most recent quarter. CEO Bernard Arnault, who is shifting the company's focus to the US in order to avoid higher taxes in the EU, was the only Frenchman on the podium at the inauguration of Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve is meeting this week for the first time since Trump's new term started. Plus, producers in Colombia are feeling some relief after Trump put the brakes on tariffs, but that hasn't stopped coffee prices from soaring.

US aerospace giant Boeing posted a nearly $12 billion annual net loss for 2024, as a series of safety issues and a seven-week strike by factory workers impacted production. The company's stock, however, rallied after the latest financial results were announced, as investor focus turned to its recovery plan. Plus, Coca Cola has recalled several of its popular soft drinks including Coke, Fanta and Sprite in a number of European countries, after detecting higher-than-normal levels of chlorate. 

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is rewriting the narrative that the AI industry needs more money and more power, by claiming to have built its base model for less than $6 million. It sparked a global sell-off that saw Nvidia shares tumble 17 percent on Monday. US President Donald Trump is calling it a "wake-up call" for the US tech industry, while OpenAI's Sam Altman says it's "invigorating to have a new competitor." But questions still remain as to how serious a threat DeepSeek will be to US companies. We take a closer look.

As a major energy summit kicks off in Tanzania towards the goal of delivering affordable electricity to 300 million more people by 2030, FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks with Sarah Malm, Executive Director at GOGLA, about the importance of off-grid solar power. But first, the release of Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek has caused a global rout in technology stocks, with US chip designer Nvidia losing about $600 billion in its market value in a single day.