Articles by AFP
Stocks tank, havens rally as Trump tariffs fan trade war
Equity markets tumbled Thursday after Donald Trump delivered a "haymaker" blow with sweeping tariffs against US partners and rivals, fanning a global trade war that many fear will spark recessions and ramp up inflation. Tokyo's Nikkei led Asia's selloff, briefly collapsing more than four percent, while US futures plunged with oil prices, safe...
BusinessMemberApr 3, 2025
Trump orders end to duty-free relief for small parcels from China
US President Donald Trump signed an order Wednesday to close a duty-free exemption for small parcels from China, in a move likely to severely disrupt the import of popular low-cost products. The rule has faced heavy scrutiny as US officials pointed to the growth of Chinese-founded online retailers Shein and Temu as a factor behind a surge of...
BusinessMemberApr 3, 2025
Amazon makes last-minute bid for TikTok: report
Amazon has made a last-minute bid to buy TikTok, which faces a US ban if not sold by its Chinese owner, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. The offer arrived in a letter to officials involved in talks regarding the sale of TikTok to appease US national security concerns, according to the New York Times. Amazon declined to comment on the...
BusinessMemberApr 3, 2025
Despite US tariff threat, Walmart to invest billions in Mexico
US retail giant Walmart said Thursday that it would invest more than $6 billion in Mexico this year, despite President Donald Trump's escalating trade wars with Washington's partners and competitors alike. Appearing at Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's morning news conference, the company's country head Ignacio Caride said that new store...
BusinessMemberMar 28, 2025
C&A continues its restructuring, 300 jobs threatened in France
Paris - Dutch fashion brand C&A, established in France for over 50 years and which has been restructuring its store network for several years, has just announced a new project that puts more than 300 jobs at risk. Announced to its employees on March 14, the new workforce reduction plan has not gone down well with the unions, particularly the CGT...
BusinessMemberMar 24, 2025
Snoopy the fashion icon celebrated in Paris exhibition
A new exhibition opened Saturday in Paris charting the emergence of Snoopy as a fashion icon, with the famed black-and-white beagle embraced by designers from streetwear brands to couture houses. The show at the Hotel du Grand Veneur in the Marais neighbourhood is part of the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the...
CultureMar 24, 2025
Temu's Chinese owner sees revenue growth slow
Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings announced Thursday slower revenue growth for the third quarter running, as the Temu owner confronts trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. The Shanghai-based company posted revenues of 110 billion yuan ($15 billion) in the three months to December 31, up 24 percent year-on-year. The figure was down...
BusinessMemberMar 20, 2025
New generation of Afghan women shift from burqa
Young, urban women in Afghanistan are increasingly ditching the all-enveloping blue burqa with a face mesh that has become a symbol of the Taliban's oppression of women. Since their return to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed an ultra-strict vision of Islamic law, modelled on their previous rule from 1996 to 2001. But while women must...
Fashion Mar 19, 2025
Trump purges Democrats from US Federal Trade Commission
The only two Democrats on the US Federal Trade Commission have been fired by President Donald Trump, the White House said, opening the door for the Republican to appoint loyalists at the independent regulatory agency. The FTC's primary function is to protect the US public against deceptive or unfair business practices. Speaking on condition of...
BusinessMemberMar 19, 2025
Shein says US tariff hit won't stop fast-fashion flood
Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration will not eject fast-fashion juggernaut Shein from the US market, its executive chairman Donald Tang has told AFP. The head of the online platform, which has come in for scrutiny over its environmental footprint and allegations of human rights violations, also insisted that the company does not use...
Business|Interview FeaturedMemberMar 17, 2025