It’s been another week full of trade rhetoric. Mid-week, the US imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. The duties were announced in mid-February as stock market investors cheered President Trump’s ‘America first’ agenda which saw only Mexico, Canada, and China come under initial pressure.

China’s economy showed promising signs in early 2025, with retail sales rising 4%, driven by the government’s strong efforts to boost domestic consumption and mitigate trade tensions with the US. Industrial production also grew by 5.9%, and fixed asset investment exceeded expectations with a 4.1% increase, adding a positive momentum to the outlook.

There is just over a month left to check and fill any gaps in National Insurance (NI) records going back to 2006 to boost State Pension entitlement. As a minimum of 35 years of NI is needed to receive the full State Pension payment, anyone who thinks that they may have any gaps in their records should check their entitlement now so they can consider filling these before 5 April.

With the end of the tax year fast approaching, there is still time for individuals to take full advantage of their £20,000 ISA allowance.