The new checks, part of the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES), collect digital personal records of third country nationals travelling to the Schengen area and replace the manual stamping of passports.
U.S. financial markets experienced a volatile week, largely influenced by geopolitical developments in the Middle East and fluctuations in energy prices. Investor sentiment was driven primarily by external events rather than domestic fundamentals.
The US dollar returned to the upside as geopolitical fears rebounded after US President Trump's address to the nation. The rhetoric fuelled risk aversion and flows toward the dollar while oil prices surged.
High-level diplomatic talks are underway after Donald Trump announced a global tariff increase to 15%, raising fresh uncertainty for British exporters. The UK Government says it is aiming to secure the "strongest possible trading position" for British firms amid what ministers describe as an evolving situation. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said businesses may face short-term uncertainty but insisted Britain expects preferential trade treatment to continue.
'That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ongoing export costs and delays,' says Parcelhero's Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T. 'It was not only to EU destinations that export costs rose. 'Costs for shipping to the USA and other international destinations also rose year-on-year. 40.5% of retailers and 36.1% of manufacturers reported their global exports cost them more in December than in the same month of 2024. Trump's tariffs, introduced last April, played a role in this overall increase.
A spokesperson for Downing Street said: The UK government is working with the US to understand how the overturning of Donald Trump's tariffs by the supreme court will affect the UK but expects our privileged trading position with the US to continue. The UK was the first to strike a tariff deal with the US, with 10% tariffs on all imports from Britain, compared with a blanket 15% rate for the EU.
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