Business and Economics

Donald Trump this week signed an executive order that imposed tariffs on washing machines and solar panels. The move has been widely criticised by manufacturers for driving up costs for American citizens and reducing choice. Suspicious that the move could ignite a trade war with South Korea and China have also been raised. Discussing possible outcomes, Dr Fragkiskos Filippaios, Reader in International Business at Kent Business School at the University of Kent, says: "Recently, the US administration decided in favour of the introduction...

Following emergency powers invoked by the Spanish government in October 2017, Catalonia remains very much a part of Spain, at least in the short term. Within the Catalan parliament, there is now a slim majority of pro-independence parties, which still leaves the possibility of the region to secede very much on the table. So, would Catalonia be able to stand on its own two feet if it were to become an independent state? At first glance, it would appear the region’s...

A young entrepreneur startup has created the definitive website to connect boat owners with people who want to rent them. Buying a boat is a big investment, and their owners will spend a lot of money on them. With the advantage that boat owners can amortize this investment and nobody is left without being able to enjoy the sea, Nautal platform has been born, a startup created by entrepreneurs that helps boat owners to rent them to other people, whether...

A whole project can fall down as a result of bad translation. The translation agency Alphatrad UK offers professional, legal and official translation services in more than 100 languages and dialects. All kinds of translation services from one language to another are part of an exciting task that has to be based on thoroughness and a great knowledge of languages. Only the best specialists are wanted, or at least in the case of Alphatrad UK, a translation agency in London...

More and more businesses are operating on a worldwide scale, with 40% of all business deals now made across borders. The internet has made international trading easier than ever, creating opportunities for substantial growth, so it is easy to see why so many companies are choosing to expand overseas. To successfully launch your business in foreign markets, you will need to adapt, and being able to converse with your clients is a pivotal aspect of going global. Employing foreign workers...

The World's richest one per cent took home 82 per cent of the wealth last year, according to shocking new figures released by Oxfam. According to the findings the level of inequality veered once again in favour of the rich, with the vast majority of newly generated money going to the wealthiest one per cent. Data shows that of the £7.3 trillion generated between July 2016 and June 2017, around £6 trillion (82 per cent) went to 75 million people, while...

2017 was a particularly interesting year in the global energy markets as crude oil declined from around $55 per barrel in January to around $43 per barrel in June before rising again to end the year around $65 per barrel. OPEC's move to cut oil production levels as a proactive move to end the 3-year supply glut in oil started bearing fruits in 2017 and the bullish trend is building up momentum to continue in 2018. Crude oil is already...

Unbelievably, a decade after the global banking collapse the British taxpayer has been asked to bail out one of Britain’s largest contractors for public projects as it owes the banks - including those we bailed out - hundreds of millions. Carillion had asked the Government to bail it out with uncertainty hanging over thousands of jobs and public projects contracted out to the failing giant all over Britain from hospitals to HS2. Yet again while the risks are borne by...

A pro-Brexit group of economists has claimed Britain will gain £651 billion from a "no deal", whereas the European Union will lose more than £500 billion. The Economists for Free Trade group - formerly known as Economists for Brexit - used a classic trade model to predict that GDP will spike by nine per cent, amounting to a one-off gain of £180 billion, if Britain leaves on March 29, 2019, without a deal. They predict the UK would make an additional...