Tariff Trigger

Hi ZipLawyer! Here's all the news you need to know from this past week and how they impact law firms.

Coming up:

• 🔍 Competition: Trump promises tariffs, BNPL rulebook, banker bonuses
• 💸 Business: China throws cash at property, ECB cuts rates, pension withdrawals
• 🤖 Technology: Amazon Goes Nuclear, card fraud, AI glasses fail
• 🏠 Real Estate: Hotel expansions, Tesco solar plans
• 🔋 Energy: China picks LNG, Tesco goes solar

Competition

• Trump’s Tariff Tango: Donald Trump is threatening to slap tariffs on car imports from Mexico and the EU, claiming they’re cheating the US out of jobs. He specifically called out Mercedes-Benz, saying they “get away with murder” by building cars in Germany and finishing them in the US. If Trump’s tariffs go through, it could hit the global car market hard, especially for automakers relying on cross-border supply chains.
• BNPL Finally Gets the Rulebook: The UK is finally stepping in to regulate ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) services like Klarna and Clearpay. These companies will soon have to assess whether customers can afford their loans before approving them. This marks a big shift for the sector, which has been loosely regulated and wildly popular, particularly with younger shoppers who sometimes bite off more than they can chew.
• Bankers’ Bonus Bonanza: The Bank of England is considering loosening rules around banker bonuses, specifically shortening the clawback period from eight years to five. This would make London a more attractive place to work for finance professionals, especially compared to Europe where stricter bonus caps are still in place. After scrapping the bonus cap last year, this is another move to make the City more competitive.

What does this mean for Law Firms?