The trade deficit narrowed slightly in March, adding to hopes that the economy could be beginning to strengthen.

Guy Ryder, director-general of the International Labour Organisation, feels that if reforms are not initiated, many foreign companies will seek new production bases

A shock setback for China’s manufacturers in April fuelled concerns over the world’s second-biggest economy today in the wake  of its slower-than-expected start to the year.

A “march of the makers” may finally be on the way more than two years after the Chancellor predicted it, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply said today.

Over 380 dead as rescue efforts are hampered by blaze

Economic View

Japan's trade deficit hit a record high in the last financial year, the Ministry of Finance said.

The Chinese economy is still growing apace, though it recorded a surprise trade deficit for the month of March as imports surged.

The Chancellor’s ambitions of rebalancing the economy were dealt another blow today by official figures showing a greater-than-expected deterioration in the UK’s trade balance in February.

London’s small businesses delivered a harsh verdict on the Chancellor’s faltering efforts to kick-start the recovery today, with just one in 10 claiming the economy has improved in the last six months.

It has been the product of ten years of intensive diplomatic lobbying and is billed as the best chance the world has yet seen to regulate a trade that kills hundreds of thousands every year.

Scotch whisky exports hit a record £4.3bn last year, although sales were up only 1 per cent as widespread austerity took its toll on the bottom line.

The “winter of discontent” for Britain’s manufacturers extended into March as the economy struggles to avoid a triple-dip recession, a new industry survey warned today.

Ecnomic View