What's happening: Supreme Court nullifies Trump-era tariffs, paving way for $130 billion in refunds
The Court ruled 6‑3 that the “Liberation Day” tariffs exceeded presidential authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, overturning the measures. The decision opens a path for importers to seek refunds of roughly $130 billion collected by the Treasury, with industry estimates of up to $175 billion in potential recoveries. Trade groups praised the ruling but warned the refund process could be complex.

Poland’s January flash CPI showed headline inflation at 2.2% YoY, modestly above the 1.9% consensus but still under the NBP’s 2.5% ± 1‑point target. The decline was driven by a 7.1% drop in gasoline prices, while food prices held steady at 2.4% YoY and housing energy costs rose to 3.4% YoY, limiting the pace of disinflation. The new COICOP 2018 classification altered basket weights, contributing to a 0.6% month‑on‑month increase. Analysts expect the NBP to proceed with a 25‑basis‑point rate cut in March, potentially lowering the policy rate to 3.25% or lower.
Something worth remembering if you're trying to value the stock market right now: 👇 A corporation can only profit from human labor displacement once. If by engaging in that single cost saving to beef up your bottom line you inadvertently destroy...

Australia’s latest carbon leakage review recommends a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), beginning with cement and clinker imports and potentially expanding to hydrogen, steel, ammonia and related products. The review, led by ANU professor Frank Jotzo, evaluated 75 trade‑exposed commodities...

The episode examines the rapid shift from AI euphoria to AI paranoia among investors, sparked by a controversial startup demo that triggered selloffs in sectors like insurance, logistics, and even impacted Apple. It also highlights the impact of recent January...

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party secured a decisive parliamentary majority, clearing the path for a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s energy strategy. Its manifesto pledges to lift renewable power to 20% of the mix by 2030, a dramatic rise from today’s...

Visa’s latest Spending Momentum Index shows travel as the fastest‑growing consumer category in Asia‑Pacific, expanding about 2.5 times faster than overall spend in 2025. Cross‑border card use surged as tourists adopted digital wallets, while affluent consumers generated roughly three‑quarters of...

The episode reviews China’s latest loan data released after market close, noting new yuan loans of CNY 4.71 trillion in January—significantly below the CNY 4.8 trillion forecast and far under expectations of around CNY 5 trillion. While total social financing surged to CNY...
India’s rupee ended Friday essentially unchanged, closing at 90.6350 per dollar, a slight dip from the prior session. The currency faced pressure from weak domestic equities, elevated interbank dollar demand, and maturing non‑deliverable forward contracts, while the Reserve Bank of...
Singapore is one of the world's biggest oil-trading hubs. It also LOVES to tax cars. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-13/singapore-s-car-tax-revenue-now-so-high-it-exceeds-fiji-s-gdp

🚨 THIS COULD BE A GAME CHANGER FOR METALS AND RISK ASSETS Big news emerged yesterday: Russia is seriously considering returning to dollar-based settlements as part of a broader economic partnership with President Trump. For the past 3–4 years, Russia has been...
In a Euractiv op‑ed, Anna Wieslander and Rachel Ellehuus of RUSI argue Europe must build a NATO led by Europeans. They warn waiting for a new U.S. administration would waste critical time. The authors propose an action‑oriented process focusing on...

🚨 UPDATE Cathie Wood just said that Bitcoin is a hedge against both inflation and the deflation that could come from the productivity shock of AI! https://t.co/LBcroO4Hst
ECB staff comes up with the revolutionary idea of adding even more oversight and regulation

Romania’s economy entered recession in early 2024 and posted a 1.9% quarterly contraction in Q4 2025, the steepest drop since 2012. Revised data also turned Q1 2025 growth negative, prompting analysts to slash the 2026 GDP outlook from 1.4% to 0.6%. The...
Last CPI missed expectations 3 months in a row. If it happens again today, rate cut bets explode and the dollar dumps. I'm trading it LIVE at 8AM ET. Don't watch from the sidelines 👇 https://t.co/gAw05zLlQ8

US exceptionalism is turning into global rebalancing: BofA’s Michael Hartnett. Stock funds in Europe, Japan and other international developed markets have drawn $104 billion this year vs the $25 billion that’s flowed into US funds: BofA citing EPFR Global. https://t.co/ah9arXM6u9...

US trade policy changes – FEOC restrictions and a 25% Section 301 tariff on Chinese‑origin battery energy storage systems (BESS) – took effect on 1 January, tightening cost and compliance pressures. While Chinese lithium‑ion BESS remain marginally cheaper on equipment‑only pricing, developers...

#LibyaWatch🇱🇾: Libya’s economy is NOWHERE CLOSE to its neighbor Egypt. Thanks to the US-led regime change operation in 2011, Libya is IN THE TANK. https://t.co/mnlulHdvko
Shanghai welcomed 9.36 million inbound visitors in 2025, a 39.6% year‑over‑year increase, marking a robust tourism rebound. Growth was driven by diversified source markets, notably South Korea, Russia and Southeast Asia, and by improved visa policies and airline connectivity that doubled...

The European Central Bank released its consolidated banking data for end‑September 2025, covering 336 banking groups and 2,289 stand‑alone credit institutions across the EU‑27. Total assets rose 0.95 % to €33.44 trillion, while the non‑performing loan ratio edged up to 1.97 %. Return on...
1/5 The New York Fed finds that "U.S. firms and consumers continue to bear the bulk of the economic burden of the high tariffs imposed in 2025." https://t.co/X3Xz2tRn1j

Algeria has begun the formal process of terminating its air services agreement with the United Arab Emirates, effectively expelling Emirates from the market. The move follows a deterioration in diplomatic ties, driven by accusations that the UAE fuels regional discord...

The Trump administration is working to narrow its broad tariffs on steel and aluminum products that companies find difficult to calculate and the EU wants reined in as part of its pending trade deal with the US https://t.co/638iBN7IU0 via @jendeben...

Cameroon’s ship registry, now Africa’s third‑largest, surged 126% in the past year, largely due to Russian‑linked vessels adopting its flag. The fleet’s average age has risen to 32.7 years, prompting safety concerns after several high‑profile incidents. Under pressure from the EU...

Poland’s economy posted a 4.0% year‑on‑year increase in the fourth quarter of 2025, outpacing the 3.8% growth recorded in Q3. Quarterly expansion accelerated to 1.0% from 0.9% in the prior period, driven primarily by a surge in private consumption that...
1/7 My latest piece was written for friends who are EU policymakers or advisors. In it I argue that there is a difference between an inefficient manufacturing sector and a globally uncompetitive manufacturing sector. We shouldn't conflate the two. https://t.co/qer7BAvgnc

Poland’s GDP per capita OUTPACES Germany’s by a country mile. This growth gap is why Poland is flexing its muscles and pushing Germany around. https://t.co/78SQLlNP3o

Turkey posted a December current‑account deficit of $7.3 bn, well above the $5.3 bn forecast, pushing the 12‑month rolling deficit to $25.2 bn (about 1.8 % of GDP). The gap widened mainly because the trade balance slipped to a $‑7.4 bn deficit and primary‑income balances...

The Pentagon intercepted a tanker suspected of moving Venezuelan oil, underscoring Washington’s aggressive stance on illicit exports. Vanuatu warned users about a fake registry website, while Cameroon suspended new shadow‑fleet registrations and began deregistering existing vessels. In the tech arena,...

South Korea faces a looming labor shortage as its economically active population is projected to grow only 0.46% by 2034, creating a gap of roughly 1.22 million workers. Despite the demand for an additional 54,000 workers per year through 2029 and...

Africa’s five largest economies are now separated by razor‑thin margins, with South Africa’s $401.6 bn GDP barely outpacing Egypt’s $399.5 bn. Nigeria remains third at $334.3 bn but its ranking is highly sensitive to exchange‑rate swings. Algeria and Morocco round out the top...

ECB has yet to see full impact of euro appreciation, Kazaks says https://t.co/qqisWsfsJD via @aaroneglitis @Skolimowski https://t.co/TTDxRGmgMY

Almost €1 trillion of Dutch pension assets are slated to transition by 2027, but early hedge rebalancing has already begun. Smaller funds moved interest‑rate hedges in December 2025, while larger players like PMT and PFZW are timing their flows for the first...

China Merchants Shipbuilding Industry Group announced the full restart of its long‑dormant Wuhan Qingshan shipyard in 2026, reviving a facility that ceased new‑building in 2018. The 113‑hectare river‑front yard, equipped with a 2,200‑metre wharf, will focus on small and medium‑sized...

#TurkeyWatch 🇹🇷: In the first Inflation Report of 2026, CBRT Gov. Fatih Karahan revised the end-2026 inflation forecast from 13–19% to 15–21%. Turkey's monetary policy remains TOO LOOSE. https://t.co/EC5mR04dt6

Rachel Reeves faces mounting pressure to reassure MPs as the UK’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) programme costs rise to about £6 billion a year. The Office for Budget Responsibility warns that an £18 billion backlog could erode the fiscal surplus...

Maran Dry, the bulk carrier arm of Angelicoussis Shipping, has placed an order for four new capesize vessels at Hengli Heavy Industry’s Dalian yard, with options that could expand the deal to six ships. This marks the company’s first new‑build...

#TurkeyWatch🇹🇷: In January, Turkey's official inflation was reported at 30.7%/yr. That's SIX TIMES HIGHER than the CBRT’s 5%/yr inflation target. Among other things, Turkey’s sky-high inflation is squeezing its famous TV dramas, which draw crowds of 1 billion+ worldwide. https://t.co/nr4JytEGeV
Singapore's 2026 budget introduces a Cost‑of‑Living Special Payment, granting eligible adults up to S$400 cash and providing every household with S$500 in Community Development Council vouchers. The cash payout targets citizens earning up to S$100,000 and owning no more than...

Japan is set to publish key macro data next week, including Q4 2025 GDP, export figures, and inflation. Analysts forecast a modest 0.3% quarter‑on‑quarter GDP rebound after a 0.6% contraction, driven by recovering construction and strong semiconductor exports. Inflation is expected...

Oceanbird, the Alfa Laval–Wallenius joint venture, announced its first commercial sale, delivering two Wing 560 wing sails for retrofit in Europe slated for early 2027. The order fills the initial production slots, shifting Oceanbird from prototype demonstrations to a commercial rollout. The...

Singapore’s finance minister said the city‑state may keep its carbon tax near the low end of the $50‑80 per tonne range slated for 2030, after noting a slowdown in global climate momentum. The current levy sits at S$45 (~$35.60) per tonne, already...
1/2 Reuters: "Chinese state-owned companies are buying foreclosed property projects, in a sign that long-promised government efforts to reduce massive oversupply in the crisis-hit housing sector are finally getting traction, albeit at a slow pace." https://t.co/Nk0gtgJVgr
Our story on PE giants like Blackstone, KKR, EQT's attempt to tap Japan's wealthy retail investors for funds as institutional money wanes. Most see Japan as the largest private wealth opportunity outside of the US, but the market comes with...

The episode examines how shifting trade flows, tighter vessel availability, and rising freight costs are reshaping the global bitumen market in 2026, especially for Asian importers. It highlights a surge in Chinese bitumen exports that are undercutting traditional suppliers to...

China is in the grip of a DEFLATION. In January, its Producer Price Index (PPI) was NEGATIVE at -1.42%/yr. If that's not bad enough, China's PPI has been negative for 3 STRAIGHT YEARS. DEFLATION = AN ANEMIC MONEY SUPPLY GROWTH STORY. https://t.co/HJkJ55fGfN
Xinhua: In four first-tier cities and 31 second-tier cities, the average month-on-month price declines in January were 0.3% for new homes and 0.5% for resold homes, while prices in 35 third-tier cities fell 0.4% for new homes and 0.6% for...

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a two‑year campaign to narrow the enforcement gap that allows a shadow fleet of sanctions‑busting tankers to operate under weak flag‑state oversight. By leveraging its Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS), the agency will...
Are stock markets in trouble if US CPI data points the Fed away from bolder interest rate cuts? #stockmarkets #CPI #Fed #DOLLAR #macro #trading https://t.co/2Ij9Tr0kWM

In this episode, Phil and NAB’s Ray Attrill dissect the widening gap between New Zealand and Australia as AI‑driven investment costs strain US markets and commodity prices slide, while the Aussie dollar weakens below 71 cents. They explore how rising AI spending,...