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New US tariffs face lawsuit, IMF warning and global backlash

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. The United States Court of International Trade building in New York, US, March 18, 2025. /VCG The Trump administration's new tariffs on around 60 trading partners took effect at 12:01 am local time on July 24, drawing an immediate legal challenge from two US small businesses and strong criticism from multiple countries. They also follow a recent warning from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding their impact on global growth. The new tariffs, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, were imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, targeting economies including China, Japan, Australia, Brazil and the European Union over forced labor concerns. The measures cover approximately 99.4% of US imports from the investigated economies. Hours after the tariffs took effect, two US small businesses — Burlap & Barrel, a New York-based online spice retailer, and Collective Horology, a California-based watch retailer — filed a lawsuit in the US Court of International Trade, challenging the administration's legal authority to impose the sweeping duties.

July 25, 2026

Business

Hong Kong issues 21 smoking fines on construction sites in first 6 days of ban

Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui says authorities inspected about 530 construction sites during the first six days of the ban Hong Kong authorities issued 21 fixed-penalty notices in the first six days of a citywide ban on smoking on construction sites, the labour commissioner has revealed, describing the situation as not ideal. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said on Saturday that about 530 construction sites had been inspected during the first six days of the ban, which took effect on July 17. Apart from the 21 fixed-penalty tickets, authorities also issued five improvement notices to contractors, with one case currently undergoing evidence evaluation for potential prosecution, he said. Authorities also issued about 300 written and verbal warnings and suggestions, mostly involving the basic management of no-smoking measures, such as whether site boundaries and posted no-smoking notices were clear, he added. “We issued a total of 21 fixed-penalty notices. Out of more than 500 construction sites, 21 works out at about three or four notices per 100 sites,” Hui said on a television programme.

July 25, 2026

Business

Cyprus ambassador: Hospitality constant across Chinese provinces

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. As summer tourism to China heats up, more visitors are exploring beyond the usual routes. Koula Sophianou, ambassador of Cyprus to China, shared her observations after nearly a year in the country. Each Chinese province has its own character, she said, but one thing stays the same —the warmth of the people. She encouraged travelers to visit as many places as they can to truly experience the hospitality that defines China.

July 25, 2026

Business

Nearly 170 mainland Chinese motorists expected in Hong Kong under expanded scheme

Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles scheme extended to five additional cities from Saturday, with daily quota of urban trips doubling to 200 Close to 170 mainland Chinese motorists are expected to arrive in Hong Kong on Saturday under an expanded cross-border travel scheme, with hotels rolling out accommodation, dining, shopping and parking packages to attract the new visitors. The Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles scheme was extended to cover five more cities – Shenzhen, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou and Zhaoqing – from Saturday, with the daily quota of urban trips doubling to 200. A total of nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area are now eligible, comprising the five new additions and the original four of Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Jiangmen and Zhongshan. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said authorities received three times as many applications under the expanded scheme as the available quota. “The response has been very encouraging,” Chan said at the scheme’s launch ceremony at the Hong Kong border crossing of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. “Of the applications received, 60 per cent came from the five newly added cities.”

July 25, 2026

Business

Who pays when overheated roads melt and rails buckle?

Heatwaves come and go, and while this is happening with increasing frequency and intensity – as this year’s record-breaking temperatures show – they slip from attention once things cool off. What does not disappear is the lasting and costly damage they do to the basic infrastructure we rely on in our daily lives. Ultra-hot days and nights can result in the deaths of many people (those who cannot afford air conditioning especially) and they ignite forest infernos of terrifying intensity. Some of...

July 25, 2026

Business

US latest tariff salvo sparks condemnations amid trade uncertainty

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. The latest round of US tariffs, ranging from 10% to 12.5% on imports from most trading partners, has triggered widespread criticism, with countries accusing Washington of unilateralism and warning that the measures could hurt American consumers and disrupt global trade. In a statement on Friday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide opposed a new 12.5 percent US tariff on its imports, saying, "We strongly disagree with the United States' unilateral use of tariffs against Norway and other countries. We also disagree with the justification for this new tariff." Imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 – which empowers the US to combat unfair or discriminatory foreign economic practices – the United States has levied a new wave of tariffs on imports from 60 countries, accounting for 99% of US imports, alleging that these nations failed to adequately ban goods produced using "forced labor." Norway called the tariff baseless, as clear rules are already in place to prevent trade in goods produced using forced labor, said the statement.

July 25, 2026

Business

Houthi blockade of Saudi trade threatens wider Middle East conflict

As Houthi attacks disrupt Red Sea shipping, analysts warn of ‘brinkmanship’ that could yet spiral into all-out conflict “If they do this again, the US will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a surrogate and/or proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The Houthis claimed a missile attack on the southern Saudi city of Jizan on Saturday, after media the group controls accused Saudi Arabia of a “dangerous escalation” and said its actions “will not go unanswered”.

July 25, 2026

Business

China dad’s growth hormone investment for daughter sparks debate over societal pressure

Height is irreversible; you only get one chance in life, and this is a worthwhile investment, father says A father in central China, who spends 6,000 yuan (US$880) a month on “growth shots” for his daughter, has ignited a heated online debate regarding height anxiety. According to mainland media outlet Dazhong Daily, the father, surnamed Li, lives in Changsha, Hunan province, and consistently pays for growth hormone injections for his 12-year-old daughter. Before starting the treatment, the girl experienced a growth rate of only two to three centimetres per year. However, with the injections, she reportedly gained four centimetres in just six months. “I have specific expectations for her height,” Li explained, noting that growth tends to slow after puberty. While he has not disclosed a desired height or career aspirations for his daughter, he emphasised that his goal is to boost her confidence and poise. Li stated to the media: “Height is irreversible; you only get one chance in life. This is a worthwhile investment.”

July 25, 2026

Business

Chinese regulator fines Ctrip operator for monopoly abuses

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. China's State Administration for Market Regulation said on Saturday that it has imposed administrative penalties on Trip.com Group, the operator of Ctrip travel platform, for abusing its dominant market position in violation of the country's anti-monopoly law. According to the regulator, the company was ordered to forfeit 1.658 billion yuan (about $244 million) in illegal gains and pay a 3.521 billion yuan fine, bringing the total penalty to 5.179 billion yuan. The regulator also ordered the group to refund 122 million yuan in hotel order reserve funds that had been forcibly deducted from hotel operators, undertake comprehensive rectification measures and publicly disclose its corrective actions. Trip.com, China's largest online travel platform, provides services including hotel reservations, transportation ticketing and vacation packages.

July 25, 2026

Business

T3 signal expected between 1pm and 3pm on Saturday, classes to be suspended

Observatory says stronger winds and squally showers expected later in the day, as Typhoon Noul moves across northeastern part of South China Sea Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 3 typhoon signal between 1pm and 3pm on Saturday and afternoon classes will be suspended in some schools. The Hong Kong Observatory said local winds were expected to strengthen gradually with squally showers developing later in the day, as Typhoon Noul moved steadily across the northeastern part of the South China Sea. At 10am, Noul was estimated to be about 400 kilometres (248.5 miles) east-southeast of Hong Kong. It was forecast to move west-northwest at about 20km/h (12.4mph) across the northeastern part of the South China Sea, in the general direction of the Guangdong coast. “Members of the public are advised to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports,” the Observatory said. Education authorities also announced that classes at kindergartens and schools for children with disabilities would be suspended after noon. But schools were advised to keep their premises open and implement contingency measures to look after students who arrived.

July 25, 2026

Business

Investment with Chinese characteristics: how Beijing’s money is reshaping tech ventures

On the surface, China’s cutting-edge tech sector – from the algorithmic breakthroughs of DeepSeek and Zhipu AI to the hardware of Unitree Robotics and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) – mirrors Silicon Valley’s venture capital-backed ecosystem. But a closer look at their financing histories reveals a common investor: the Chinese state. Beijing’s strong presence underscores a more profound structural shift in how China’s frontier technology is being funded. As Western venture capital and...

July 25, 2026

Business

Long before the Silk Road, silkworm cocoons already existed in Uzbekistan

Some 4,000 years ago, ancient people brought the production technique for the precious luxury from China to Central Asia via India In 138BC, Chinese diplomat and explorer Zhang Qian was sent as an envoy to the western regions. The land route started from Changan, present-day Xian, and passed through Gansu province and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, reaching Central and West Asia, and connecting various countries along the Mediterranean. Among the goods traded along this long route, Chinese silk was the most representative, which was how the Silk Road got its name. Traditional historical scholarship holds that sericulture and silk-reeling technology originated in China 8,500 to 5,000 years ago and spread outward along the Silk Road in the 2nd century BC. However, a recent archaeological discovery by Chinese scientists in Uzbekistan has revealed that silkworm cocoons and mulberry trees already appeared in the region more than 2,000 years before the Silk Road opened.

July 25, 2026