Finance

President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a limited bilateral trade agreement on Thursday that maintains Trump's 10% tariffs on British exports while expanding agricultural access and reducing steep US duties on British automobile exports. The "general terms" agreement marks the first of numerous tariff-adjusting deals Trump expects to finalize in the coming weeks. It follows his implementation of new import taxes aimed at addressing the $1.2 trillion US goods trade deficit. Trump celebrated the deal in the Oval Office with Starmer connected via speakerphone. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and chief trade negotiator Jamieson Greer prepared to launch negotiations with Chinese officials in Switzerland. Trump emphasized that Britain "made a good deal" but cautioned that other trading partners might face higher final tariffs due to their large US trade surpluses. "It opens up a tremendous market […]

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) will examine recent changes at the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those potentially influenced by the White House or Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a letter sent to Democratic lawmakers. The GAO, Congress's nonpartisan research arm, informed Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mark Warner that it will review the SEC's recent efforts to reduce staff, terminate leases, and consolidate operations, as detailed in an April 8 letter viewed by Reuters. The lawmakers requested the investigation last month following media reports about DOGE's involvement and other significant changes at the market regulator. A. Nicole Clowers, managing director of GAO's congressional relations office, confirmed in the letter that the request "is within the scope of (GAO's) authority" and that work would commence in approximately three months. Since President Donald Trump took office and […]