The Know Daily - Tuesday 8 April 2025

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Wild fish are able to recognise specific humans, a recent study has found. Scientific divers in the Mediterranean Sea identified multiple individual fish that consistently followed them over weeks using visual cues, highlighting a greater intelligence than previously thought 🐠

📉 Trump’s tariffs

The Trump administration’s tariffs have caused stock markets across the globe to fall – let’s break down what this all means.

What are tariffs?
It’s a tax put on finished goods, raw materials and components imported from other countries. The company importing the goods pays the tax to the customs agency of the nation that introduced them. For instance, a 25% tariff on a £10 product would bring an additional £2.50 charge. 

What do Trump’s measures entail?
From 5 April, Trump placed a universal 10% tariff on imported goods coming into the US. From 9 April, some countries will face higher "reciprocal tariffs” in reaction to having placed tariffs on American exports.  

Technically, the tariffs are imposed on firms in the US that want to import goods from overseas, not countries themselves. For instance, some major clothing retailers manufacture in countries like Vietnam. There’s a 46% tariff on goods imported from Vietnam, so they’ll face higher costs to bring goods from there into the US.

By introducing higher tariffs, the hope is that more companies will establish themselves in the US – rather than importing goods from overseas – eventually lowering costs, according to the Trump administration. However, the cost of tariffs is usually passed on to the consumer, so economists predict that prices on everything from cars to TVs are expected to rise in the US. 

What are the global effects so far?
The measures have led to the global stock market losing trillions in value. The stock market indicates business growth and economic health, so the current decline means that trade is expected to shrink and economic recession could be more likely. In addition, the move has proved unpopular, with many countries looking to issue retaliatory tariffs or negotiate trade deals. That being said, the impacts are ongoing – you can follow the latest updates here.

How will the UK be affected?
The UK was given a 10% tariff rate, which PM Keir Starmer has said will have an “economic impact” given that £58bn of goods were exported to the US last year, mainly related to cars and machinery. US-UK trade talks are ongoing and Starmer is looking to negotiate a trade deal. So far, the UK government hasn’t announced taxes on US imports but it’s currently drawing up a list of US products that could face tariffs in response.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Preserving products: This Welsh gin has become the first in the UK to receive protected status.

• The bigger story: The gin – alongside other Welsh products – was granted protected geographical indication status by the UK government. The certification ensures that food and drink from the UK are legally protected from imitation, champions local products and helps to preserve traditional production methods.

🖼️ Night at the museum: The National Gallery in London is offering one lucky person the chance to sleep there overnight – here’s how you can enter the draw.

👶 Birthing first: For the first time in the UK, a woman has given birth after a womb transplant.

🌳 British biodiversity: Researchers are looking to build Europe's first research station dedicated to temperate rainforests in Cornwall – here’s why it matters.

🚘 Tackling waiting times: The Department of Transport has announced changes to driving tests, aimed at reducing the backlog.

✈️ Airport security: Some UK airports are changing their rules around laptops and liquids passing through security scanners.

🏖️ Sand siren: Check out the stunning entries at the Australian Sand Sculpting Championships here.

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Trivia answer: B) Tokyo nabbed the top spot, but this UK city is the runner-up.

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