Economy

The tariff crisis  Trump's tariff policy
US threatens Taiwan's chip companies with 100 percent tariffs

Taiwanese chip companies that do not begin approved factory construction in the US risk tariffs of up to 100 percent. This is what US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC.

- That's what they get if they don't build in the US, then the tariffs will likely be 100 percent, he says, and states that construction must begin while Donald Trump is president.

Wall Street loses momentum after the statement but is still trading steadily in the red at 8:40 p.m.

Companies that build new chip factories in the US are allowed to import up to 2.5 times the planned production capacity duty-free during the construction period. When the factories are finished, imports corresponding to 1.5 times the capacity are allowed, he clarifies.

The comments come after the US and Taiwan signed a trade agreement in which tariffs against the island are reduced to 15 percent. Taiwan, in turn, will invest $500 billion in the United States.

US attack on Venezuela  Reactions
The United States has begun selling Venezuelan oil

The United States has completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil, worth about $500 million. The White House told CNN. More deals are expected in the coming days and weeks.

After the United States attacked Venezuela earlier in January and captured President Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump has clearly signaled that he wants to exploit the country's large oil reserves. Trump has also claimed that the oil industry could invest up to $100 billion in rebuilding Venezuela's energy sector, a claim that has no clear basis.

However, the plans are facing resistance from American oil companies. At a meeting at the White House, several top executives expressed skepticism about investments in the country. Exxon CEO Darren Woods described Venezuela as "uninvestable" and pointed to a lack of legal and commercial frameworks.

Trump Critics Charged
Trump: Will Not Fire Powell – Right Now

Donald Trump has no plans to try to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, despite the Justice Department opening a criminal investigation into the central bank chief.

– I have no plans to do that, Trump tells Reuters, but adds that it is “too early” to say what he will ultimately decide.

The news agency asks if the investigation gives Trump the right to dismiss Powell. The president then replies that “we are in a kind of waiting mode with him”.

Powell’s term as Fed chairman expires in May.

This has happened

The US Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Fed Chairman Jerome Powell following lawsuits over the renovation of the central bank’s headquarters in Washington.

The investigation was about whether Powell misled Congress about the scope of the project, but Powell claimed that the threat of prosecution was intended to influence the Fed's interest rate decisions.

President Donald Trump denied knowledge of the investigation but has previously criticized Powell for both interest rate levels and renovation costs.

Several former Treasury secretaries and Fed governors expressed support for Powell and called the investigation an unprecedented attempt to undermine the Fed's independence.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was reported to be dissatisfied with the investigation, but the Treasury Department denied reports of disagreement between Bessent and Trump.