The news continues to be dominated with the fallout from Trump’s ‘explosive’ international trade tariffs, with a 104% tariff now in effect on China, the world’s biggest exporter.

The additional charge was announced yesterday, after China said it was issuing retaliatory tariffs of 34% and refused to back down when challenged. In response, the White House announced an extra 50% tariff on Chinese imports – a move which it said was necessary for addressing the trade deficit and protecting national security. 

As a result, China and the US are now engaged in what the BBC has described as an escalating stand-off, after the president’s global wave of tariffs led to stock markets crashing around the world. The tariff tug of war is creating friction even within the Maga stronghold, after The Telegraph reported Elon Musk called Donald Trump’s trade tsar “dumber than a sack of bricks”.

As more than half of UK consumers have said they are less likely to buy US food and drink, the tariffs are being seen by some as an opportunity to boost British food and drink business, The Grocer revealed yesterday.

Downing Street, however, has refused to officially back a ‘buy British’ campaign, saying the UK is “an open-trading nation” and the government was “not going to tell people where they buy their stuff”.

Elsewhere, The Telegraph has reported that German discounter Aldi has overtaken the beleaguered Asda on food and drink sales for the first time ever. Unpublished Kantar data seen by the paper has revealed that Aldi accounted for 10.6% of food and drink sales in the 12 weeks to 23 March, while Asda’s grocery market share slipped to 10.4%. The move takes Aldi closer to leapfrogging Asda and moving into the top three largest grocery retailers in the UK, as the discounter goes from strength to strength, increasing its market presence and investing in stores. Asda’s sales have dropped by 5.6% in the same period as it continues to work on its much-publicised turnaround plan.

See The Grocer’s extensive coverage on Asda’s challenges and how the retailer is fighting back as it looks to hold its place in the top three supermarkets and regain its crown as the cheapest full-range grocer.

The BBC has reported that the Post Office will be offloading its 108 remaining directly-owned branches as it makes the move to a fully franchised network. Retailers including Tesco and Ryman have shown interest in taking on the loss-making branches, although the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has called for the government to examine alternative options, describing the move as “full privatisation of the Post Office via the back door”.

A Deliveroo exec has told City AM that London restaurants can’t take more tax hikes, claiming that hospitality is “taken for granted” by policymakers. Chief business officer Carlo Mocci said the government needs to ’give the hospitality industry certainty that there will be no further tax rises that will squeeze the sector, and instead create the right environment for the industry to thrive and grow. 

Sweet, sticky and sold out everywhere, The Guardian is asking why there is such a craze for Dubai chocolate as the latest TikTok craze continues to sell out in stores and online. They’re late to the party though: The Grocer’s coverage on where the trend started and how it’s grown was published last week. 

Taking a look at traditional British foods that have fallen out of fashion, The Telegraph has gone on a food and drink-related trip down memory lane, as it takes a look at the store-cupboard classics which are still finding their way onto people’s plates, from water biscuits to brown sauce. 

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