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The closely-fought Irish general election campaign has entered its final day, as concern over the economic threat posed by Donald Trump becomes an electoral theme.

With housing and the cost of living among key concerns, Irish voters are being wooed with substantial spending promises from the main parties, despite economists warning of “a clear and present danger” to Ireland’s corporation tax revenues from the president-elect, who assumes office in Washington on 20 January.

Around a quarter of Ireland’s tax take comes from foreign-owned multinational companies, largely in the technology, pharmaceutical and chemical sectors.

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Irish election: What you need to know

Donald Trump wants those American firms to book their profits, and pay their taxes, in the US instead.

He also has plans for tariffs of up to 20% on goods from EU countries. Ireland currently has a record trade surplus with the US of some €35bn (£29bn).

Mr Trump’s choice for commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, has already taken aim at Ireland’s trade policies, saying it’s “nonsense that Ireland of all places runs a trade surplus at our expense…when we end this nonsense, America will be a truly great country again. You’ll be shocked”.

These are ominous signs for Irish economists like Dan O’Brien, who works with the Institute of International and European Affairs.

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He said it’s “very difficult to overstate how dependent on its economic integration with the United States” Ireland is, as in many ways “it’s the basis of our economic model”.

“If we didn’t have those American companies here employing hundreds of thousands of people directly, many more indirectly, manufacturing goods to sell to the United States, paying a lot of corporation tax, the Irish economy would look radically different.”

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Micheal Martin rules out coalition with Sinn Fein

For Mr O’Brien, the spending plans of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who along with the Green Party formed the last government, as well as those of the main opposition party Sinn Fein, need to be viewed with caution.

Mr O’Brien said: “It’s very stark to listen to the political debate in the UK, where it’s so much about austerity as it is in many European countries these days, and here in Ireland, where the politicians are promising everything because the public finances are so good. It’s always a mistake for politicians to pretend to voters that the good times will go on forever.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be a recession or worse, but it is a clear and present danger given what the most powerful man in the world has said he is going to do.”

On the campaign trail, the issue of Donald Trump’s plans has increasingly been put to candidates.

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Sinn Fein will demand referendum

At an event in Dundrum, Co Dublin, Sky News asked Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris why the second Trump term is being viewed as such a threat, especially as corporation tax revenues in Ireland increased during the first Trump White House.

Mr Harris said: “Trump 2.0, the second Trump presidency, is not the same as the first for a variety of reasons, including the fact that he’s received a very large mandate.

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Irish PM speaks to Sky News

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“If three US companies left Ireland, it could cost us €10bn (£8bn) in corporation tax. I’m not pre-empting that, I’m not saying it’s going to happen, I’m not predicting it, but that’s the level of risk that our economy is exposed to.”

Asked if Ireland should be scared of the new administration, Mr Harris replied: “No, but we shouldn’t be in any way ignorant to the policy platform that President Trump has put forward.”

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Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs – in worst day for indexes since COVID

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Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs - in worst day for indexes since COVID

Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.

While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.

As it happened: Worst week’s trading in five years

All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.

The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.

Read more: What’s a bear market?

Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.

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Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.

The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.

And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.

Pic: Reuters
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US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters

Trump holds trade deal talks – reports

It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indian and Israeli representatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.

The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.

Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.

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Do Trump’s tariffs add up?

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China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.

Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.

Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.

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Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump

He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’

“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”

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Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they’re also battling with another problem

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Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they're also battling with another problem

Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.

The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.

The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.

Tariffs latest: FTSE 100 suffers biggest daily drop since COVID

Financial investors had been gradually re-calibrating their expectations of Donald Trump over the past few months.

Hopes that his actions may not match his rhetoric were dashed on Wednesday as he imposed sweeping tariffs on the US’ trading partners, ratcheting up protectionism to a level not seen in more than a century.

Markets were always going to respond to that but they are also battling with another problem: the lack of certainty when it comes to Trump.

More on Donald Trump

He is a capricious figure and we can only guess his next move. Will he row back? How far is he willing to negotiate and offer concessions?

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These are massive unknowns, which are piled on to uncertainty about how countries will respond.

China has already retaliated and Europe has indicated it will go further.

That will compound the problems for the global economy and undoubtedly send shivers through the markets.

Much is yet to be determined, but if there’s one thing markets hate, it’s uncertainty.

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Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

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Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

South Korea’s constitutional court has confirmed the dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached in December after declaring martial law.

His decision to send troops onto the streets led to the country’s worst political crisis in decades.

The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.

The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.

Demonstrators who stayed overnight near the constitutional court wait for the start of a rally calling for the president to step down. Pic: AP
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Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP

Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.

The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.

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The Constitutional Court is under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement of the impeachment trial. Pic: AP
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The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP

After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.

He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.

His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.

The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.

South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.

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