Podcasts from Morning Money at 7:00 presented by Sarah Lowther related to Economics

The Baltic Dry Index continues to move in a positive direction. The Index, often used as an indicator for the general health of the shipping sector, had its lowest point in February, but has been climbing back ever since. Matt Cox spoke to Robert Merrylees, Policy Analyst at The UK Chamber of Shipping, about the situation.

With the structure and financing of Network Rail currently being discussed and investigated, this year’s annual Rail Freight Group Conference was moved forward by two months so the industry could get together to discuss and respond. Maggie Simpson, the Rail Freight Group's Executive Director, joined to discuss why the 24th annual event is so critical.

Sellers and publishers from across the UK are gathering to discuss all things book-related at the London Book Fair. But how is the climate when it comes down to selling physical books and digital copies? Matt Cox spoke to independent bookseller Mark Thornton and bestselling author James Craig, who explained how they operate in the world of bookselling and how recent trends have affected them.

Brazil is due to present its budget, but with GDP forecasts due to shrink by 4% for the second consecutive year, and the unemployment rate rising sharply, the country is struggling to deal with the end of the commodity boom. The biggest party in congress has now also voted to abandon President Dilma Rousseff’s ruling coalition. Robert Van Egghen looked into the country's struggles.

Is Britain’s favourite treat under threat? Chocolate makers and cocoa traders are having a tough year, thanks to a perfect storm of bad weather and foreign exchange fluctuations. It has led to a rapid price increase for those Easter eggs we all adore. Robert Van Egghen spoke to Jonathan Parkman, co-head of agricultural commodities at Marex Spectron, about the concerns within the cocoa market.

Warm Up, who produce market-leading underfloor heating products, makes an annual turnover of £20 million and employs 170 people. Its fast growth has mirrored the advent of the single European market, but life after a Brexit could spell a very different future for the company. CEO, Andrew Stimpson, spoke to Share Radio’s Nigel Cassidy about his fears if the UK was to leave the European Union.

The Virtual Technology Cluster Group is just 24 hours old. Launched on Monday, the group's model enables major multi-national companies to attract emerging and disruptive technology innovators into their supply chain. Chief Executive, Auriol Stevens, joined Sarah Lowther and Chris Bailey to discuss just how the group works and who its members are.

Independent Economist Shaun Richards talks about the deflationary pressures in the UK economy, on the back of latest BRC/Nielsen Shop price index showing that February Marked the 34th Consecutive Month of Shop Price Deflation, with prices down 2%. So what's behind these deflationary pressures? Shaun offers his views.

David McCorquodale, Head of Retail at KPMG, comments on the SRC-KPMG Scottish retail sales monitor for the month of January, which show that total Scottish sales decreased by 3.8% compared with January 2015, when they had declined by 2.3%. So what's to blame and what do these figures reveal about consumer confidence in Scotland?

Oil prices fell on Tuesday despite Saudi Arabia and Russia agreeing to freeze oil output at January levels if other producers follow suit. A potential stumbling block is Iran, after petroleum minister, Bijan Zangeneh, said that the country would "not forego its oil market share". Kevin Baxter, Global Commodities Spot News Editor at the Wall Street Journal, gives his opinion on the matter.