Protests sweep across Spain against high housing costs

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tens of thousands of people took to the street in 40 cities across Spain, including the capital city of Mardrid on Saturday to protest against high housing costs, crying out for decent and affordable housing.

Many in Spain are being priced out of the housing market amid rising rental costs and soaring property prices. Unable to buy or rent, the residents held mass demonstrations to reinforce their right to a home.

Besides Madrid, protesters also marched in Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga and other cities, under the slogan "Stop using our homes for your business."

"I'm actually very angry. I belong to a housing union which fights this problem every day, not only for young people, but for the whole population of Spain, in which paying rent is a very big struggle," said a protester.

"I spend more than half of my salary in housing, right? For my friends, it's exactly the same. We're realizing it. Every year, our rent increases because it's allowed, and every five or seven years when the contract finishes, rent goes up to whatever the landlord desires. And that cannot be so. Next year my contract is up, and I don't know what's going to happen," said another.

Rent prices have skyrocketed by 80 percent over the past decade, exacerbated by record tourist numbers and the rise of short-term rental platforms like AirBnB.

The Spanish government has made the issue a priority with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowing continued efforts to ensure that people's constitutional right to housing become a reality.

However, the protesters said that promises are not enough, demanding much more radical and immediate measures, including an end to property speculation, more public housing, an immediate drop in rents, and calling for the revamping of the more than 3.8 million empty homes in Spain.

They threatened to stop paying their rent en masse and want eviction companies to be outlawed and vulnerable families to be protected. With house prices projected to rise a further 10 percent this year, they said this protest movement will not be silenced.

Protests sweep across Spain against high housing costs

China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Wednesday issued details on the implementation of an additional 84 percent tariff on imported U.S. products following U.S. tariff hikes.

The GAC posted an announcement on its website on Wednesday stating that, according to an earlier announcement from the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, China will raise the additional tariff on products imported from the U.S. to 84 percent, effective from 12:01 on April 10 (Thursday).

Goods that are exported from the place of origin before 12:01 on April 10 and imported to China between 12:01 on April 10 and 24:00 on May 13 will be considered as "in-transit goods” and will not be subject to the additional tariff.

According to the GAC announcement, from 12:01 on April 10 all goods declared for import originating from the U.S. will be subject to the additional tariff. This will be based on the current taxation method and applicable tariff rates consisting of the sum of the current most-favored-nation tariff rate or provisional tariff rate and the already implemented additional tariff rate.

For "in-transit goods," importers can apply for exemption from the additional tariff but are required to verify the transportation status of U.S.-origin goods, and confirm that the transportation vehicle carrying the goods departed from the place of origin before 12:01 on April 10, and that the relevant goods are declared for import before 24:00 on May 13.

For "in-transit goods" seeking exemption from the additional tariff, the import declaration should be made after the transportation vehicle carrying the goods enters China.

China releases details of implementation of additional tariffs on US goods