China and US agree closer ties after trade talks

The US President Donald Trump believes a trade deal could be signed "pretty soon", after holding talks with President Xi Jinping of China. Presenter Andrew Peach hears from US farmers after China agrees to buy soyabeans from the US. Can Canada really become an energy superpower? We hear how it is pitching energy exports to the South East Asian market. And major record labels like the Universal Music Group are set to work with an artificial intelligence platform Udio, after settling a copyright dispute.

After what President Trump calls an “amazing” meeting in South Korea, the US and China strike a trade truce. But is it really a full deal? We break down what’s behind the tariff talks. In South Africa, millions of dollars are being pumped into tackling its chronic youth unemployment problem. And as the US shutdown continues, airlines are losing millions of dollars a day. We hear from the CEO of Delta Air Lines.Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Niamh Mc Dermott Editor: Stephen Ryan

President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping are meeting in South Korea for the first time since 2019. Presenter Sam Fenwick hears what’s at stake in crucial talks between the two leaders. Also, the owner of a US-based coffee roastery in New York tells us what tariffs and inflation mean for his business. And, what do the latest results from Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta tell us about investment in AI?(FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands while walking at Mar-a-Lago estate after a bilateral meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., April 7, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo)

The much-anticipated meeting between Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping takes place in South Korea on Thursday. Presenter Sam Fenwick hears what’s at stake in crucial talks between the two leaders. The owner of a US-based coffee roastery in New York tells us what tariffs and inflation mean for his business. What do the latest results from Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta tell us about AI investment?

The world’s most valuable company, Nvidia, has hit a historic $5 trillion valuation after unveiling new contracts to supply AI chips and revealed plans to build seven supercomputers for the U.S. government. Plus, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen says the company’s parent firm blocked them from launching a Palestine-themed ice cream. In response, Cohen has announced a sorbet expressing solidarity with Palestine.Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Niamh Mc Dermott Editor: Shea Conduct

Hurricane Melissa causes major disruption as the Jamaican economy comes to a standstill. Tourists are also stranded on the island with the closure of all major airports.Business leaders from the US and Japan meet to discuss trade, investment and supply chains.Amazon confirms plans to cut thousands of jobs, saying it needs to be “lean” to seize the opportunity provided by artificial intelligence. Presenter Sam Fenwick examines all these stories and looks at the some of the other big global business stories of the day.

US President Donald Trump and Japan's new prime minister have pledged a stronger alliance and closer economic ties during his visit to Tokyo. The two leaders have signed new investment deals including one covering rare earth minerals. The UN warns the world is falling badly behind in tackling climate change. So, which countries are stepping up, and which are lagging? Plus, will Elon Musk walk away from Tesla if his trillion-dollar pay package gets rejected? Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Niamh Mc Dermott Editor: Shea Conduct

US President Donald Trump has kicked off his trip to Asia by announcing a string of new agreements and a peace accord involving Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The White House has called it historic but businesses are looking for more detail. We speak to two entrepreneurs in Chicago and Seattle on what this could mean for their companies. Elsewhere, we hear how US tariffs on India's exports has put nearly a million jobs on the south-eastern coast of the Andhra Pradesh state at risk. And as massive rallies cheer Javier Milei, and Argentina's markets soar with the president tightening his grip on power in the South American country, Sam Fenwick discusses whether his La Libertad Avanza party's midterm victory will pave the way for economic reforms. The latest business and finance news from around the world, on the BBC. (Picture: US President Donald Trump talks before boarding Air Force One at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday 27 October 2025. Credit: Reuters / Evelyn Hockstein.)

He's currently in Tokyo where trade and investment are high on the agenda. Japan is already America's biggest investor and promises to pump another 550 billion dollars into the US as part of a trade deal. In Argentina, Javier Milei's far-right party wins Sunday’s midterms. Milei remains committed to pushing forward free-market reforms, despite growing opposition from the public. And in India, shrimp farmers are grappling with the impact of a 50% tariff. How are they coping with the threat to thousands of jobs?Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: Niamh McDermott Editor: Olie D'Albertanson

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have missed their full paycheques for the first time since the beginning of the government shutdown three weeks ago, with Democrats and Republicans still blaming each other for the lapse in federal funding. We hear from a US federal employee at the Department of Defence on the East Coast. And this week the fight moved to the courts over another politically contentious area – the massive charges the Trump administration wishes to impose on H1B visas – the work visas issued to up to 65,000 foreign workers each year, looking for jobs that US employers say they are unable to fill otherwise. Also, Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, says he's ready to resume trade negotiations with the United States when Washington is ready. This comes after President Trump announced he was abruptly ending talks because of an anti-tariff advertising campaign by the province of Ontario. (Picture: A sign outside the National Gallery of Art alerts visitors the museum is closed in Washington and remains closed due to the government shutdown on 23 October 2025. Credit: photo by JIM LO SCALZO/EPA/Shutterstock).