China pledged to retaliate against Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat and mobilized state organs to send a message of resilience, raising the risk of a prolonged trade war between the world’s two largest economies, Bloomberg News reported. “The US threat to escalate tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake,” the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a Tuesday statement, hours after the US president vowed to impose additional import taxes.

Panama’s top auditor said Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison owes hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid fees and failed to get necessary clearances for two key Panama Canal ports, dealing a blow to plans by U.S. asset manager BlackRock to buy the ports as part of a $22.8 billion transaction, the Wall Street Journal reported. BlackRock’s acquisition of the ports situated at each end of the Panama Canal, along with some 40 other ports around the world, has become a flashpoint between the U.S. and China as the two superpowers are also squaring off in an escalating trade war.

Wall Street lenders are postponing leveraged-finance deals as investors shy away from risky transactions while global markets have been shaken in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, Bloomberg News reported. In the past several days, banks have pushed at least two leveraged-loan sales to the sidelines. They involve funding for HIG Capital LLC’s planned purchase of Canadian firm Converge Technology Solutions Corp. and a dividend to ITG Communications LLC owner Oaktree Capital Management. Lender commitments for both deals were due last week.

President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose an additional 50 percent tariff on China, escalating the tit-for-tat retaliation with Beijing that followed the White House’s sweeping import tax rollout last week, Politico reported. “If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. China was a primary target of Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs announced last week.

The Spanish government will provide 14.1 billion euros ($15.66 billion) worth of measures to help its economy weather the impact of the new U.S. tariffs, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday, Reuters reported. The new tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday have rattled markets and drew condemnation from world leaders facing an abrupt end of an era of trade liberalisation that has shaped the global order for decades. Spain, which like other European Union members was hit by U.S.

China has taken steps to restrict local companies from investing in the U.S. in a move that could give Beijing more leverage for potential trade negotiations with the Trump administration, Bloomberg News reported. Several branches of China’s top economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission, have been instructed in recent weeks to hold off on registration and approval for firms that are looking to invest in the US, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive issues.

U.S. President Donald Trump's planned tariffs will be negative across the world, with the damage depending on how far they go, how long they last and whether they lead to successful negotiations, European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde said on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The Trump administration on Wednesday is set to announce "reciprocal tariffs" targeting nations that have duties on U.S. goods. That move would come after it slapped new import levies on products from Mexico, China and Canada - the top U.S. trading partners - as well as on goods including steel and autos.

The largest aquatic theme park operator in Latin America, The Dolphin Company, has filed bankruptcy in the US to restructure its debt and address what it described as financial challenges, Bloomberg News reported. The Cancun, Mexico-based company, whose properties include Dolphin Discovery habitats and the Selva Magica theme park in Guadalajara, Mexico, sought court protection on Monday in Delaware, listing assets and liabilities each of more than $100 million.

U.S. President Donald Trump's push for sweeping tariffs is creating great uncertainty and denting confidence but is not likely to trigger a near-term recession, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Monday, Reuters. Georgieva, in her first major interview since Trump took office, underscored the challenges facing a global economy that is still posting underwhelming growth after scarring from the COVID pandemic, but cautioned against being overly alarmed.

Thames Water, the financially stricken utility which has been teetering on the edge of insolvency, is set to be taken over by KKR, the American private equity group, The Times reported. KKR has been selected as a preferred bidder by the Thames Water board for its offer to take control of the shares of the utility in return for what was an original offer of a £4 billion cash injection. The offer envisages creditors taking significant writedowns in their exposure to Thames near-£20 billion of gross debt.