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Business sentiment among large Japanese manufacturers has worsened for the first time in a year, partly because of worries about US President Donald Trump's tariffs, according to a survey by Japan's central bank released Tuesday. The Bank of Japan's tankan quarterly survey said an index for large manufacturers that shows the percentage of companies foreseeing good conditions minus those feeling pessimistic fell to plus 12 from plus 14 in December, the first dip in four quarters. Major manufacturers include the key auto and electronics sectors, whose exports to the US are a major driver for the Japanese economy. A shrinking population has also dragged on Japan's growth, while rising wages and a tourism boom have helped. US auto tariffs are a worry for major manufacturers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Corp. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday that his government was engaged in last ditch efforts to get the United States to exclude his country from auto tariffs. He
With President Donald Trump's so-called Liberation Day of tariff implementation fast approaching, Senate Democrats are putting Republican support for some of those plans to the test by forcing a vote to nullify the emergency declaration that underpins the tariffs on Canada. Republicans have watched with some unease as the president's attempts to remake global trade have sent the stock market downward, but they have so far stood by Trump's on-again-off-again threats to levy taxes on imported goods. Even as the resolution from Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia offered them a potential off-ramp to the tariffs levied on Canadian imports, Republican leaders were trying to keep senators in line by focusing on fentanyl that comes into the U.S. over its northern border. It was yet another example of how Trump is not only reorienting global economics, but upending his party's longtime support for ideas like free trade. I really relish giving my Republican colleagues the chance to not jus
Japan's economy grew at a better-than-expected annual rate of 2.8 per cent in October-December, underlined by steady exports and moderate consumption. On a quarter-to-quarter basis, the world's fourth largest economy grew 0.7 per cent for its third straight quarter of growth, the Cabinet Office reported on Monday in its preliminary data. For 2024, the Japanese economy eked out 0.1 per cent growth in seasonally adjusted real GDP, or gross domestic product, which measures the value of a nation's product and service. That's the fourth straight year of expansion. Private consumption grew at an annual rate of 0.5 per cent during the three months through December, holding up while losing momentum. Exports jumped 4.3 per cent, and capital investment increased 0.5 per cent. The positive data sent Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 higher, as well as other Asian markets. Some analysts think the anticipation of President Donald Trump's tariffs may have lifted trade. Unlike the US and some other