The director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said new tariffs announced by the US along with those introduced at the start of the year could lead to a contraction of around 1% in global merchandise trade volumes in 2025.

WTO says tariffs could bring contraction of 1% in global merchandise trade volumes

Suppliers to Apple Inc are following the iPhone maker lower on Thursday, as the Trump administration’s tariff announcement spurs widespread selling.

Apple is seen as especially vulnerable to the tariffs given it counts China as a major manufacturing hub, and Trump’s country-specific levies included a sharp hike on China.

Apple suppliers tumble as tariffs hit iPhone supply chain

Fitch Ratings downgraded China’s sovereign rating on concerns over weakening finances and rising public debt, just one day after the US imposed higher tariffs on the country. 

The cut takes China’s long-term foreign currency default rating to "A" from "A+" with a stable outlook, Fitch said in a statement on Thursday. China’s Finance Ministry responded with a strong rebuke, describing the decision as biased and not reflective of reality.

Fitch cuts China rating on weakening finances, debt concerns

Wall Street economists said the US risks a recession this year and inflation could return to pandemic levels following the Trump administration’s announcement of major tariffs on global trading partners.

Economists slash US growth, boost inflation forecasts on tariffs

Heavyweight technology stocks led a broad selloff on Wall Street on Thursday after President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on major trade partners ignited fears of an all-out trade war and raised the risk of a global economic recession.

Wall Street plunges as Trump tariffs trigger recession fears

World cocoa and coffee prices fell on Wednesday as investors fretted that President Donald Trump's move to slap punishing tariffs on US imports would damage chocolate and coffee demand in the world's top consumer of the products.

Coffee and cocoa slide as Trump tariffs spark demand worries

The US stock market is down almost 10% since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, marking the worst 10-week start under a new president since George W Bush in 2001 during the height of the dot-com selloff.

Trump’s second term brings worst stock market start since 2001

French President Emmanuel Macron urged companies to pause investments in the US after President Donald Trump announced tariffs on the European Union (EU) and other regions.

France’s Macron urges EU companies to pause US investments

Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Thursday.

Mayu Global, Tuju Setia, Iskandar Waterfront City, TNB, HHRG

The revival in small caps expected from Donald Trump’s America First agenda instead turned into a rout for shares in companies whose fortunes are most closely tied to the US economy.

The Russell 2000 Index plunged as much as 6.6% on Thursday and is now down more than 20% from its all-time high reached in late 2021.

Russell hits bear market with small caps buffeted by tariff wave

Malaysia’s semiconductor companies are not out of the woods even as the industry is exempted from the latest broad-ranging tariffs imposed by the US.

Malaysia's semicon firms brace for future US action after dodging tariffs

Microsoft Corp has pulled back on data centre projects around the world, suggesting the company is taking a harder look at its plans to build the server farms powering artificial intelligence and the cloud.

Microsoft pulls back on data centres from Chicago to Jakarta

WHAT makes some stocks more reliable for dividends than others? Apart from decent earnings growth and steady cash flow, investors also pay attention to the shareholder list. Companies whose controlling or substantial shareholders (with more than 10%) are government-linked companies (GLICs) are, m...

Cover Story: Companies that paid the most to Malaysia’s GLICs in 2024

Donald Trump’s shake-up of the global trading system is hurting US assets more than those in many of the big economies he has just slapped with additional tariffs.

US emerges as biggest loser in markets from Trump’s tariffs

The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has issued a stark warning regarding the US' decision to impose a 24% reciprocal tariff on Malaysian exports from April 9, saying it could lead to significant reduction in export volumes, job losses and supply chain disruptions affecting both Malaysian producers and US-linked multinational operations here.

Malaysian manufacturers sound alarm over US tariff, call for strategic govt action

Donald Trump’s latest tariff hikes threaten to inflict a bigger hit on China’s economy than it suffered during his first trade war.

US tariffs seen as far worse shock to China than first trade war 

SEPANG (April 3): The Malaysian government had signed an agreement with Ocean Infinity (United Kingdom) to reinstate the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

MH370: Agreement with Ocean Infinity signed, search to recommence year-end — Loke

Steel products maker Mayu Global Group Bhd (KL:MAYU) said its executive director Tan Kim Hee has been detained by the police.

He was held by Bukit Aman police on April 2 to assist in an ongoing investigation, said the group, formerly known as Atta Global Group Bhd, in a bourse filing.

Mayu Global executive director Tan Kim Hee detained by police

THERE has been a clarion call for the Madani government to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the gas pipeline inferno in Putra Heights, Selangor, which occurred on April 1, 2025.&nbsp;

Royal Commission of Inquiry needed for Putra Heights gas pipeline inferno

The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma) has called on the government to consider "emergency support measures" to help the industry weather the impact of the sweeping new duties imposed by the US.

Rubber glove makers urge govt to consider emergency support measures amid US tariffs

Malaysia’s economic growth prospects are now under threat from US tariffs and escalating trade tensions between the world’s largest economy and its trading partners.

While the 24% reciprocal tariff imposed on Malaysia is milder than the punishing 32%-49% levied on its neighbours in Southeast Asia, economists and strategists said the tariffs will nevertheless have major implications for the country’s exports.

Malaysia's steady growth prospects now face tariff headwinds, economists flag

Rebuilding US infrastructure: Our picks of steel stocks. Read more in the Apr 7 edition of The Edge Malaysia Weekly. Pick up from the newsstands or subscribe at https://theedgemalaysia.com/subscription

Rebuilding US infrastructure: Our picks of steel stocks

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday that closes a trade loophole known as 'de minimis' that has allowed low-value packages from China and Hong Kong to enter the United States free of duties.

Trump signs order ending 'de minimis' duty-free treatment for low-value parcels from China

Heavyweight technology stocks led a broad selloff on Wall Street on Thursday after President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on major trade partners ignited fears of an all-out trade war and raised the risk of a global economic recession.

NEWS of British forces withdrawing from Singapore by 1971 sent shockwaves through the newly independent nation as it had been dependent on the former for military and economic security. Amid the transition and ensuing economic uncertainty, the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chin Tuan, a legendary Singaporea...

Special Report: Straits Trading’s big bet on Butterworth

Loss-making LYC Healthcare Bhd’s (KL:LYC) chief financial officer (CFO) Chong Sook Peng has resigned, with effect from May 30, 2025.

LYC Healthcare CFO resigns a little over a year into service

The US has banned government personnel based in China from having romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens, the Associated Press reported citing people familiar with the matter.

US bans staff in China from romantic ties with citizens — report 

Below is a summary of how key Bursa Malaysia indices and the ringgit performed on Thursday.

FBM KLCI down 0.5% to 1,518.91 on April 3, 2025

Southeast Asian nations reeled on Thursday as they were hit with some of President Donald Trump's heftiest tariffs, which now threaten the economies that have benefited from investment since he imposed levies on China during his first term.

Vietnam, slapped with 46% tariffs, said it would set up a task force and Thailand's prime minister said she would pursue negotiations to try to reduce the 37% rate her country faces - far greater than the 11% it had expected.

Southeast Asian nations, among hardest-hit by Trump tariffs, seek talks

SINGAPORE-listed The Straits Trading Co Ltd (STC), a member of the Tecity Group, was founded by the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chin Tuan, the man credited with shaping Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd (OCBC) into one of the world’s soundest banks in the 1980s.

Beyond his influence in banking, ...

Special Report: Preserving Tan Chin Tuan’s legacy while steering Straits Trading forward

Supply-driven shocks have caused sharp movements in global energy markets.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has significantly disrupted the trade and production of energy commodities. In response to the war, several countries — including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada — have announced bans on Russian oil, while the European Union plans to ban Russian crude oil and refined fuels by 2023.

Impact of energy shocks on global activity

Hidden behind the worst global food crisis in a decade, fertiliser prices have skyrocketed and remain volatile.

How to manage the world’s fertilisers to avoid a prolonged food crisis

The worst global food crisis in a decade was one of the top issues discussed in the 12th ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) last month. It is a crisis made worse by the growing number of countries that are banning or restricting exports of wheat and other commodities in a misguided attempt to put a lid on soaring domestic prices. These actions are counterproductive — they must be halted and reversed.

World Bank Group