Business Matters

BBC World Service

Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

  • 49 minutes 26 seconds
    US holds interest rates for sixth time

    The US Federal Reserve says it needs greater confidence that inflation is easing before cutting interest rates. We get the latest from our correspondent in New York. The housing market is one of the industries most impacted by the higher cost of borrowing. We hear from a buyer. And we have an exclusive interview with Pakistan's Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, about the conditions the country has to meet after taking a loan from the International Monetary Fund. Roger Hearing discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Karen Percy, a freelance reporter in Melbourne, and Alison Van Diggelen, host of 'Fresh Dialogues' in Silicon Valley.

    (Photo: A trader works inside a booth, as screens display a news conference by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell. Credit: Reuters)

    2 May 2024, 1:04 am
  • 49 minutes 27 seconds
    Binance founder sent to prison

    The Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who has been sentenced to four months in a US prison for failing to establish adequate anti-money laundering protections.

    Reports coming out of Washington suggest that the US government is about to take an historic step toward easing federal restrictions on cannabis.

    The lower house of congress in Argentina has given its general approval to a comprehensive package of austerity measures proposed by the President, Javier Milei. The house in Buenos Aires has spent over a day voting on individual articles of the various measures which have led to huge protests in the city in recent months.

    Also, China’s leaders have pledged more support for the world’s second-largest economy, saying it "still faces many challenges”; and the Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones says young women in tech have to be "resilient".

    Presenter Ed Butler is joined by Yves Hayaux Du Tilly, a Mexican lawyer who advises companies on business matters affecting Mexico and Latin America, and Jennifer Pak, the China correspondent for American Public Media, to discuss the latest international business news.

    (Photo: Changpeng Zhao. Credit: Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

    1 May 2024, 7:41 am
  • 49 minutes 27 seconds
    The G7 says no more to coal fired power stations by 2035

    Ed Butler presents with guests Kristina Hooper, who's Chief Global Market Strategist at Invesco, the investment firm in New York, and Jessica Khine, who's Head of Asia for the Japanese financial consultancy, Astris Advisory.

    They discuss the decision on scrapping coal-fired power stations made by the G7, the Premier League introducing new financial rules, and the story about the mining giants BHP and Vale who've offered to pay Brazil about $25.7 billion in total compensation for a 2015 dam disaster at an iron ore complex.

    Photo: Ratcliffe on Soar coal-fired power station, Jeremy Ball, BBC News

    30 April 2024, 7:50 am
  • 49 minutes 26 seconds
    US-China relations: How will it affect businesses?

    America's top diplomat and the Chinese president have held talks in Beijing as both sides seek to stabilise relations. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that Washington will act if China does not stop supplying Russia with items used in its assault on Ukraine.

    Also, in the programme, Roger Hearing finds out how important good manners still are in the business world and who created World biggest 3D printer.

    (Picture: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits China. Picture credit: Reuters)

    27 April 2024, 1:03 am
  • 49 minutes 26 seconds
    US economic growth slows but inflation grows

    The US economy grew by less than forecast in the first three months of this year but inflation gathered pace, which could delay an interest rate cut.

    Official figures revealed the economy expanded at an annualised rate of 1.6%, far below expectations and the growth seen in the final months of 2023.

    Meanwhile, inflation, which measures the pace of price rises, has increased.

    (Picture: Retail sales drop in Britain, Huddersfield, United Kingdom - 21 Oct 2022. Picture credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

    26 April 2024, 1:02 am
  • 52 minutes 58 seconds
    US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visits China

    The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is continuing his visit to China, there are tensions on many fronts between the world’s two superpowers, how will the trip pay out? We hear from Brian Wong, from the Centre on Contemporary China and the World, in Hong Kong.

    As TikTok vows to fight a new law which could see it sold or banned in the US, what could a ban mean for businesses who rely on it?

    And more than 40% of Japan’s municipalities might eventually vanish due to a sharp population decline brought on by a chronically low birthrate, what’s going on? (Photo Credit: Reuters)

    25 April 2024, 1:06 am
  • 52 minutes 58 seconds
    Millions of US workers set to be affected by ban on so-called ‘non-compete’ agreements

    The Federal Trade Commission has voted to ban so-called ‘non-compete’ agreements in a move which could affect millions of workers Under the moves, U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with . But it’s likely to be challenged in court. One woman tells us how her family’s life was turned upside down by a non-compete agreement with a large tech company.

    Also on the programme Tesla sees its profits more than halve this year. The company has seen its profits more than halve this year, and says it will bring forward the launch of new models and cut thousands more jobs to try to reverse its fortunes.

    And research by German academics has found that we are increasingly pushing back the age at which we consider ourselves to be old. Nimal Ram, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University tells us more

    24 April 2024, 1:17 am
  • 52 minutes 57 seconds
    India elections: how has the economy changed under Prime Minister Modi?

    We hear from the BBC's Nikhil Inamdar in the financial hub of Mumbai. Plus, in the tech hub of Bengaluru, first-time voters say it's really hard trying to get a job.

    Women are still very much a minority in workplaces. We ask female voters why?

    And writer Swati Narayan tells us why she thinks India is so unequal.

    23 April 2024, 1:07 am
  • 55 minutes 27 seconds
    Will TikTok be banned in the US?

    US lawmakers could vote on a bill that corners the app's owner ByteDance with a stark choice: to sell or be banned. Also in the programme, the French government addresses shrinkflation concerns with a new rule that will require stores to tell customers when a product becomes smaller but its price stays the same or increases. And we look into why sales of wine have dropped in China.

    Rahul Tandon discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Lori Ann LaRocco, senior editor of Guests at CNBC Business News, and Colin Peacock, presenter of Mediawatch on Radio New Zealand.

    (Picture: A view shows the office of TikTok in the US. Picture credit: REUTERS.)

    20 April 2024, 1:01 am
  • 49 minutes 26 seconds
    Ecuador faces severe energy crisis

    Businesses in the South American nation have been told to shut down for two days due to power cuts caused by drought. We find out more.

    The Scottish government is to scrap its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030. We hear why.

    And Google terminates 28 staff who protested against a contract signed with the government of Israel.

    Rahul Tandon discusses these and more business stories with two guests on opposite sides of the world: Tony Nash, CEO of Complete Intelligence in Texas, and Jessica Khine, head of Asia for Astris Advisory Japan in Malaysia.

    (Picture: A saleswoman waits for customers at her restaurant in Ecuador. Picture credit: REUTERS/Karen Toro.)

    19 April 2024, 1:04 am
  • 49 minutes 30 seconds
    Biden calls for tripling tariffs on China steel

    President Jo Biden is set to call for a tripling of US tariffs on steel and aluminium. His demand for tariff hikes comes as he tackles fraught relations with China.

    A Boeing engineer has told US lawmakers that he was harassed and threatened after he raised concerns about the safety of the company's planes. We hear from engineers and their claims.

    The Michigan consumer sentiment survey suggests that despite the US economy doing well people are not very positive. We find out why from local Americans.

    [REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz]

    18 April 2024, 1:06 am
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