UN Security Council holds emergency meeting
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RNZ News
24 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Higher US tariffs kick in for dozens of trading partners
By Beiyi Seow Donald Trump holds a signed executive order after delivering remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden entitled "Make America Wealthy Again" at the White House in Washington, DC, on 2 April, 2025. Photo: AFP The United States has begun charging higher tariffs on goods from dozens of trading partners, in a major escalation of President Donald Trump's drive to reshape global commerce in America's favour. Shortly before the new levies kicked in, Washington separately announced it would double Indian tariffs to 50 percent and hit many semiconductor imports from around the world with a 100-percent levy. As an executive order signed last week by Trump took effect, US import duties rose from 10 percent to levels between 15 percent and 41 percent for a list of trading partners. Many imports from economies including the European Union, Japan and South Korea now face a 15-percent tariff, even with deals struck with Washington to avert steeper threatened levies. But others like India face a 25 percent duty - to be doubled in three weeks to 50 percent - while Syria, Myanmar and Laos face staggering levels at either 40 percent or 41 percent. Switzerland's government, which failed to convince Trump not to impose a stinging 39 percent tariff, was set to hold an extraordinary meeting later on Thursday (local time). Taking to his Truth Social platform just after midnight, Trump posted: "IT'S MIDNIGHT!!! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS ARE NOW FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!" The latest wave of "reciprocal" duties, aimed at addressing trade practices Washington deems unfair, broadens the measures Trump has imposed since returning to the presidency. On the eve of his latest salvo, he doubled planned duties on Indian goods to 50 percent, citing New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil. The new levy - up from 25 percent now - would take effect in three weeks. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations called the move a "severe setback for Indian exports, with nearly 55 percent of our shipments to the US market directly affected." For New Delhi, one of the main sticking points has been Washington's demand to access India's vast agricultural and dairy market. "We will not compromise with the interests of our farmers, our dairy sector, our fishermen," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. Trump's order also threatened penalties on other countries that "directly or indirectly" import Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow's war in Ukraine. Washington has already separately stuck tariffs on sector-specific imports such as steel, autos and pharmaceuticals. Trump said Wednesday he also planned an "approximately 100 percent tariff" on semiconductor imports, but with "no charge" for companies investing in the United States or committed to do so. Shares in Taiwanese chip-making giant TSMC surged as Taipei said it would be exempt, but some other Asian manufacturers took a beating. Companies and industry groups warn the new levies will severely hurt smaller American businesses, while economists caution that they could fuel inflation and hit growth. With the dust settling on countries' tariff levels, at least for now, Georgetown University professor Marc Busch expects US businesses to pass along more of the bill to consumers. An earlier 90-day pause in these higher "reciprocal" tariffs gave importers time to stock up, he said. But although the wait-and-see strategy led businesses to absorb more of the tariff burden initially, inventories are depleting and it is unlikely they will do this indefinitely, he told AFP. "With back-to-school shopping just weeks away, this will matter politically," said Busch, an international trade policy expert. The tariffs leave lingering questions for partners that have negotiated deals with Trump recently. Tokyo and Washington, for example, appear at odds over key details of their pact, in particular on when lower levies on Japanese cars will take place. Generally, US auto imports now face a 25-percent duty under a sector-specific order. Toyota has cut its full-year profit forecast by 14 percent because of the tariffs. Japan and the United States also appear to differ on whether the "reciprocal" tolls of 15 percent on other Japanese goods would be on top of existing levies or - like the EU - be capped at that level. China and the United States, meanwhile, currently have a shaky truce in their stand-off but that is due to expire on 12 August. Chinese exports to the United States tumbled 21.7 percent last month, official data showed, while those to the European Union jumped 9.2 percent and to Southeast Asia by 16.6 percent. The EU is seeking a carveout from tariffs for its key wine industry. In a recent industry letter addressed to Trump, the US Wine Trade Alliance and others urged the sector's exclusion from tolls, saying: "Wine sales account for up to 60 percent of gross margins of full-service restaurants." Trump has separately targeted Brazil over the trial of his right-wing ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro , who is accused of planning a coup. US tariffs on various Brazilian goods surged from 10 percent to 50 percent Wednesday, but broad exemptions including for orange juice and civil aircraft are seen as softening the blow. Still, key products like Brazilian coffee, beef and sugar are hit. - AFP
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Season 3 Episode 15: Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick on homelessness, energy poverty, Gaza, and electoral law changes
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says National MPs she's spoken with want to support a stronger stance on sanctions against Israel but are too terrified to take on their party leadership. The sanctions are prompted by Israel's 22 month bombardment of Gaza and its refusal to allow aid to flow freely into the occupied region. Swarbrick lodged a member's bill in December and argues with all opposition parties backing it, the support of just six backbench government MPs would mean it could skip the "biscuit tin" ballot and be brought to Parliament for a first reading. She told Mata with Mihingarangi: "All we need is six of 68 government MPs to get it on the floor of the House ... I've spoken to a number of National MPs in particular and ... they're telling me, and look I'll be crystal clear about this, they're telling me that they're terrified about the future of their career because the indication that they've got from their leadership is that if they were to stick their neck out and do the right thing here they would be losing their place on the pecking order. "And my question, that I've put back to them is: What the hell is the point of your job?" Standing Order 288 allows MPs who are not ministers or under-secretaries to indicate their support for a member's bill. If at least 61 MPs get behind it, the legislation skips the "biscuit tin". If six government MPs indicated their support for this bill it would be the first time this process was followed. Late last month Foreign Minister Winston Peters called for a ceasefire in Gaza in a statement delivered in Parliament, but stopped short of promising further aid funding, or promising to join efforts to prevent weapons being sold to Israel. His speech coincided with New Zealand supporting a joint statement with 27 other countries calling for a ceasefire, and condemning the "drip-feeding of aid , and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children". A week later the coalition government signed an additional joint statement with 14 other countries expressing a willingness to recognise the State of Palestine as a necessary step towards a two-State solution. After 22 months of a devastating Israeli military campaign Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says there's a need for more than speeches and statements. "Gazans can't eat empty words, and this government has, for the better part of two years now, said that they're doing everything they can as they make statements and sit on their hands. "The very least that we could possibly do is apply the same standard that we did to Russia for its unlawful invasions into and occupation of Ukraine. "That's why we drafted the Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions bill which, after a year plus of waiting for the government to do something we put into the biscuit tin to remove any of the excuses. "The other important thing to note about the process we initiated by putting this into the biscuit tin is that we no longer need Winston Peters, Christopher Luxon or that other guy. We just need six of 68 government MPs to say that they are willing to stand by their conscience and do the right thing in the face of a genocide being live streamed to each of us 24/7 on our phones."
RNZ News
7 hours ago
- RNZ News
NASA to fast-track plan to put nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030
By Audrey Courty A nuclear reactor would be useful for long-term stays on the Moon. Photo: 123RF Analysis - US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has announced the US wants to be the first nation to put a nuclear reactor on the Moon after an internal directive showed he ordered the space agency NASA to fast-track the plan. "We're going to bring nuclear fission to the lunar surface to power our base," Duffy wrote on social media X on Thursday, local time. "If you lead in space, you lead on Earth." A directive written by Duffy - first reported by Politico and seen by Agence France Presse (AFP) - demands that NASA build a nuclear reactor that could be used to generate power on the Moon within five years. It is the first major policy change by Duffy since President Donald Trump appointed him as acting head of the space agency, and it comes just three months after China and Russia announced they were considering a joint effort to also put a nuclear power station on the Moon. But what would a nuclear reactor help achieve? And what is driving this new space race? Here's what to know. Nuclear reactors are the heart of a nuclear power plant. They create electricity by producing a carefully controlled nuclear chain reaction. Over the years, NASA has funded multiple nuclear reactor research projects. Photo: ABC Four Corners: Ryan Sheridan According to the New York Times , Duffy's directive calls for the agency to solicit proposals from commercial companies for a reactor that could generate 100 kilowatts of power and would be ready for launch in late 2029. That's enough electricity to power between 50 and 100 Australian households at once. As extraordinary as it sounds, this idea to use nuclear energy in space is not new. Since 2000, NASA has been investing in nuclear reactor research, including in 2022, when it awarded three US$5 million contracts to develop initial designs for the Moon. But those designs were smaller, producing 40 kilowatts, and were for demonstration purposes to show nuclear power "is a safe, clean, reliable option," NASA said at the time. A nuclear reactor would be useful for long-term stays on the Moon, as the Trump administration looks to revitalise space exploration. One lunar day lasts four weeks on Earth, with two weeks of continual sunshine followed by two weeks of cold darkness. This cycle makes it difficult for a spacecraft or a Moon base to survive with just solar panels and batteries. Having a source of power independent of the Sun would be key to a sustained human presence on the lunar surface for at least 10 years, NASA has previously said. In the internal directive, Duffy also cites China and Russia's plans to put a reactor on the moon by the mid-2030s. "The first country to do so could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first," he writes, according to AFP. Artemis is a reference to NASA's Moon exploration program, which aims to send four astronauts to the lunar surface in 2026 to establish a lasting presence near the south pole. Further, Duffy notes it would pave the way for Mars exploration efforts. "To properly advance this critical technology to be able to support a future lunar economy, high-power energy generation on Mars, and to strengthen our national security in space, it is imperative the agency move quickly," he reportedly says. Amid renewed competition for space dominance - more than 50 years after the Cold War spurred the first man to walk on the Moon - it is worth noting that a 1967 UN agreement says no nation can own the Moon. Duffy's comments about the potential for another country to declare a "keep-out zone" on its surface appear to be referring to an agreement called the Artemis Accords. In 2020, seven nations initially signed the agreement to establish principles on how countries should cooperate on the Moon. Since then, 49 more have done so, including Australia, but China is noticeably absent from the list. These principles include so-called "safety zones" to be established around operations and assets that countries build on the Moon to prevent interference. The race to the Moon is driven by scientific knowledge and technological advances, as well as the prospect of accessing valuable resources. In a 2015 article published on its website, NASA explains why it plans to mine the Moon and how the "lunar gold rush" could work. Citing data from geological surveys, the space agency says the Moon contains three crucial elements: water, helium and rare earth metals. The water reserves frozen inside shadowed craters could be used for drinking, and could even be converted into rocket fuel to support future missions to Mars, according to NASA. The agency says helium would support developments in the energy sector, like nuclear fusion. As for rare earth metals, it says they would boost the supplies needed for emerging technologies, like smartphones, computers and medical equipment. China has also tapped the Moon's potential and made giant leaps in space exploration and technology in recent years. It has built a space station that is manned by taikonauts, landed a rover on Mars, and became the first nation to touch down on the far side of the Moon. China, too, wants to set up a lunar base and send people to Mars, adding a layer of political rivalry to the race. - ABC
