BUSINESS

Vietnam and the United States agreed to start negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement, Hanoi said on Thursday, hours after Washington delayed imposing an enormous tariff on the Southeast Asian manufacturing powerhouse.

"Coles and Woolworths have had it too good for too long and Tasmanians are paying the price," Tasmanian Greens Senator Nick McKim said. "A lack of competition means shoppers here are paying at least AU$15 more on a basket of essential groceries compared to Aldi, which adds up to hundreds of dollars a year."

India's central bank cut interest rates in the world's fifth-largest economy on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump's tariffs kicked in and policymakers warned of "challenging global economic conditions".

Adjusted to today's median values, the recent growth equals about a $230,000 increase, which is roughly half the size of earlier percentage peaks but far more significant in terms of money.

China is trying to tariff-proof its economy by boosting consumption and investing in key industries, but analysts say it remains critically vulnerable to the economic storm triggered by Donald Trump's 104% levies on its goods.

As the world reels from US President Donald Trump's tariffs onslaught, here is a look back at some major trade wars since the 19th century: - 19th century Opium Wars - In the mid-19th century, two conflicts over the opium trade, which became known as the Opium Wars, pitted China against the British Empire.

Troubled Australian casino operator Star Entertainment says it has been thrown an 11th hour multi-million dollar lifeline by US-based casino giant Bally's Corporation.

Indonesian stocks closed down nearly eight percent on Tuesday after a weeklong public holiday break, its biggest fall in more than a decade as uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's global tariffs roil markets.

According to the Treasury's modeling, the U.S. tariffs and China's retaliatory measures would lead to a 0.1% drop in Australia's real GDP for the year.

Fearing that US President Donald Trump's 25 percent tariffs on imported cars and auto parts could spark "paranoia" among buyers and drive up prices, Arthur Bibbs has decided to go ahead and buy a secondhand truck now.

A top Chinese official has vowed to protect US firms and pledged his country will remain a "promising land" for foreign investment, Beijing said Monday, after it slapped 34 percent tariffs on US imports.

Monday's stock market collapses in Asia and Europe after China retaliated to steep US tariffs revived memories of similar market turmoil after the Covid pandemic and the last global financial crisis.

The Australian dollar is struggling to stay above 60 US cents after falling to a five-year low of $0.5933 earlier in the day.

TikTok on Friday was hours from a deadline to find a non-Chinese owner or face a ban in the United States.

Across Asia, factory workers, directors, trade associations and analysts voiced concern Thursday that US President Donald Trump's stinging tariffs could put jobs at risk and hammer key sectors of industry.

Tesla sales kept falling in March in many European markets as it suffered from a double blow of boycotts against the policies of its founder Elon Musk and an ageing model line-up.

Stock markets diverged Wednesday as investors fretted over what shape US President Donald Trump's fresh wave of tariffs would take later in the day.

Support for cryptocurrencies from US President Donald Trump or Argentine leader Javier Milei has seen investors lose billions of dollars and is damaging a sector struggling for credibility, researchers told AFP. "The entire crypto industry is being tarnished," said Claire Balva, strategy director for fintech company Deblock.

Raise prices or cut into their margins, open or close factories: carmakers must soon make major decisions as the United States imposes stiff tariffs on imported vehicles.

Inflation in the eurozone slowed further in March, official data showed on Tuesday, indicating possible breathing room for policymakers despite the threat of turbulence from US trade tariffs.

Crypto ATMs, or kiosks, are machines that allow users to buy or sell cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin using cash or cards, often without requiring the same level of identity verification as traditional financial services.

President Donald Trump said Sunday he was confident of reaching a deal on TikTok ahead of the April 5 deadline for its Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the popular short video app or see it banned in the United States.

Chinese smartphone maker giant Huawei said Monday that profits fell 28 percent last year as it faced international economic uncertainty and weak consumption at home.

Auto companies once again took the brunt of the selling on another tough day for markets on Friday after President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs on vehicle imports to go with a wave of other US levies pencilled in for next week.

Australia's competition regulator gave the go-ahead Friday for Qatar Airways to launch an alliance with Virgin Australia.

Emarketer on Wednesday forecast that ad revenue at X, formerly Twitter, will grow this year as brands fear retaliation by politically connected owner Elon Musk if they stay away.

Apple Maps will display over 250 dual place names for cities and towns across both countries, along with the land borders of Indigenous protected areas and reserves.

Lingering hopes that Donald Trump's planned tariff blitz next week will not be as painful as feared lifted most Asian markets Wednesday, though uncertainty about the president's policies and the US economy tempered optimism.

The company's administrators hope to keep the brand running online, which might help save some jobs; however, most of the workers are in the stores that will be closing.