Hello, I'm Mark Lohen. Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service. Donald Trump's

decision to slap tariffs on global trade has sent the world reeling. Stock markets have tanked. Gloomy

economists have hit the airwaves. Governments, their backs against

the wall, have responded with either stoic resignation or threats of revenge. But it's businesses

worldwide who are most affected. We'll hear from some of them. We'll also hear from US business people,

including one Trump supporter who's worried about what lies ahead.

The atmosphere is not one that's fostering cooperation. If anything, the international community

freaking hates us right now, and I don't see how that's going to help keep my grocery bill down.

Tariffs are taxes that are charged on goods imported from other countries.

There's nothing that unusual about them, but it was the eye-watering levels imposed by the US on many other countries that sent shockwaves around the world.

President Trump promised the move would turbo-charge the U.S. economy by raising revenue and boosting manufacturing. There was nothing

short of a global outcry. But President Trump and his supporters were resolute. America said the

President had been taken advantage of for too long.

It was time to level the playing field, and he insisted it was working.

I'm telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass.

They are dying to make a deal.

Please, please, sir, make a deal.

I'll do anything.

I'll do anything, sir.

Then a week on, suddenly, and without warning, a change of tack from the White House.

Increases to some of Trump's global tariffs would be paused for 90 days, with the exception of China.

But that's not the end of it. As we record this, the economic turmoil is far from over.

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