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British officials have begun classifying sensitive trade documents as “secret” and “top secret” in a bid to shield key information from American counterparts, as relations between London and Washington strain under President Trump’s tariff war, Business Matters has learned. The move marks a significant shift in internal government protocols, underscoring concerns over the potential misuse…

China has launched a scathing attack on British politicians, accusing them of “arrogance, ignorance and a twisted mindset” over criticism of British Steel’s Chinese owner, Jingye, and the firm’s recent threat to shut down its Scunthorpe blast furnaces. In a strongly worded statement published on Wednesday, Beijing’s embassy in London condemned what it described as…

UK business confidence has fallen to its lowest level in over two years, according to new data from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), as rising tax pressures and escalating global trade tensions take their toll on corporate sentiment. In its latest quarterly survey of 1,000 chartered accountants, the ICAEW reported…

UK businesses are grappling with what’s being described as a “harrowing” year, as confidence slumps in response to rising domestic tax burdens and mounting global trade tensions, according to new research from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). The ICAEW’s closely watched business confidence monitor fell to minus 3 in the…

Britain’s top companies were already tightening their belts in anticipation of a worsening global economic outlook — even before President Trump’s tariff U-turns sent markets into a tailspin. A new Deloitte survey of FTSE 350 finance chiefs, carried out at the end of March, shows that concern about geopolitical risk was at its highest level…

Ports across the UK and mainland Europe are becoming increasingly congested as the US-China trade war forces hundreds of vessels to divert or stall, causing widespread disruption in global shipping routes. The turmoil follows President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 145 per cent tariff on Chinese imports, prompting a swift retaliation from Beijing with…

Parliament is to be recalled this Saturday for an emergency debate on the future of British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant, as the government considers taking control of the business to safeguard jobs and the UK’s industrial capacity. The unexpected move comes just days after MPs left Westminster for their Easter recess, with no plans to return…

Gas boiler installations in the UK outpaced heat pump fittings by more than 15 to one last year, highlighting how far the country still has to go in meeting its clean energy targets. According to new research by the Resolution Foundation, the uptake of low-carbon alternatives is well off track — with poorer households particularly…

AI-driven workplace platform Dosen.io has raised $2.3 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round to combat the rise of ‘quiet quitting’ — the growing trend of employee disengagement that’s costing businesses billions in lost productivity. Led by Affinity Ventures, with participation from Unshackled Ventures and Fuel Ventures, the round exceeded its original target by 50%,…

As a tech entrepreneur who built my business before, during and since the pandemic, I’ve seen the shift that every business owner and organisation has seen. The shift from office working, to remote working, to hybrid working, and now to somewhere in between. So, while organisations still grapple with how best to approach remote working…

The UK’s statistics watchdog has ordered the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to urgently overhaul its data collection methods within the next four weeks, amid growing alarm over the reliability of official economic figures used to shape government and Bank of England decisions. The intervention comes after a series of delays and data quality concerns…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced a relaxation of key green policies in a bid to shield the UK automotive industry from the impact of President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on car exports to the United States. Delivering his first formal response to the tariffs during a visit to the West Midlands, Starmer will…

The cost of an iPhone could more than triple in the US market following President Donald Trump’s sweeping new trade tariffs, analysts have warned — a move likely to reverberate through global supply chains and consumer tech markets. Apple, which assembles the vast majority of its devices in China, now faces a staggering 54% tariff…

US President Donald Trump has announced a 75-day extension to the deadline for TikTok’s sale or divestment, postponing a potential ban of the social media platform in the United States. The move, confirmed via a statement on Truth Social, marks the second time the president has delayed enforcement of legislation passed by Congress last year…

Live shopping — a blend of entertainment and e-commerce — is making its way from Asia into Western markets, with brands increasingly turning to interactive livestreams to sell products and engage customers. But as platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Amazon invest in this retail trend, many are asking whether live shopping will truly…