Global Economy News and Headlines
Global Economy News and Headlines
Global Economy Pulse
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
The article compares the present oil supply shock, triggered by Iranian retaliation against U.S. and Israeli strikes, with the 1973 Arab oil embargo. Experts say the current disruption is the largest ever, affecting a far greater share of global consumption than the 7% cut in 1973. While gasoline prices have spiked, U.S. authorities have not yet imposed rationing or emergency measures. The piece highlights how policy missteps in 1973 amplified shortages, a risk policymakers aim to avoid now.
U.S. tech giants including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and OpenAI have poured billions into data center projects across the Persian Gulf to support AI development. Iranian drone attacks in early March damaged Amazon’s facilities in Bahrain and the UAE, disrupting services...
/file/attachments/2989/ISS_Agoa_998337.jpg)
The U.S. Congress extended the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) only until 31 December 2026, a modest reprieve after President Trump’s 2025 tariffs eroded its benefits. Tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and a new 10% surcharge under...
Russell Investments’ head of Canadian strategy, BeiChen Lin, warns that the market is over‑pricing rate hikes after Canada shed a record 84,000 jobs in February, the biggest monthly loss since 2022. He attributes the slowdown to trade‑policy uncertainty and a...
Two small firms, spice maker Burlap and Barrel and toy producer Basic Fun, have filed a lawsuit in the Court of International Trade to overturn President Trump’s temporary 10% global tariff imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act. The companies argue...
A February 2026 FUSE Research survey of over 520 financial advisors shows government debt and fiscal policy are the top market risk for the next 12‑month horizon, rising to 56% for a three‑year outlook. Advisors are shifting client conversations toward...
Singapore has rejected the U.S. Trade Representative’s claim that it posted a $27 billion trade surplus with the United States in 2024, asserting instead a $27 billion deficit – $1.7 billion in goods and $25.1 billion in services. The dispute arises as Washington launches...
The escalating Iran crisis is driving sharp, hourly swings in oil prices, with Brent crude moving nearly $30 in a single day. While the broader equity markets have remained relatively calm, European stocks are under pressure compared with resilient US...
Wealth Professional’s March spotlight turns to global markets as Canadian advisors note a renewed appetite for international allocations. Since early 2024, global equities have outperformed key U.S. indices, ending a 12‑year period of lag. Tyler Mordy of Forstrong Global explains...
The ongoing Iran war is creating hidden infrastructure risks that could ripple through the global technology supply chain. Gartner analyst Cori Masters identifies seven disruption pathways, from data‑center workload relocations to delayed semiconductor fab equipment deliveries. Rising petrochemical‑based material costs...
U.S. sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector are intensifying, combining aggressive enforcement such as tanker seizures with narrowly‑tailored licenses for limited oil and diluent exports. The heightened scrutiny is affecting ocean transportation, with regulators, insurers, and lenders examining vessel movements, charter...
President Donald Trump announced that the United States will intensify attacks on Iran for the next week, following a partial 30‑day waiver for Russian oil purchases aimed at easing soaring fuel prices. The statement came as Brent crude hovered around...
Barclays economists now expect the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut in September 2024, pushing the next reduction to March 2027. This postpones the earlier June and September 2024 cuts the bank had forecast. Market pricing has collapsed to just 22.5...
Four years after the Ukraine invasion, Russia’s state nuclear firm Rosatom has turned civil nuclear exports into a robust geopolitical tool. The company now leads global reactor sales, offering VVER‑1200 and VVER‑1000 plants financed up to 90% by Russian state...
Senior U.S. and Chinese officials convened in Paris to lay groundwork for the upcoming Beijing summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump. The talks are expected to focus on procedural issues rather than substantive policy breakthroughs, reflecting both...
The Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center released a new "So What’s the Strategy?" podcast episode featuring former National Security Council chief of staff Alex Gray. Host Matthew Kroenig and Gray dissect Washington’s approach to the ongoing Iran war, referencing the 2020...
Historic shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have halted roughly 20% of global LNG flow, prompting buyers to seek alternatives. The United States, already the world’s largest LNG exporter, is set to nearly double its export capacity by 2031,...
Mexico's president helped broker the first confirmed talks between the United States and Cuba, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel confirming a dialogue aimed at resolving long‑standing bilateral differences. The discussions are in an early phase and follow reports that the Trump...
Ahmed Charai argues that former President Donald Trump’s foreign policy was driven by a coherent strategic logic rather than ad‑hoc decisions. He highlights how the "America First" approach reshaped U.S. engagement in the Middle East, emphasizing energy security, transactional alliances,...
Portugal's consumer price index for a basket of essential foods hit a record €254.12, up €12.30 (5%) from early 2026 and 35% above 2022 levels. DECO says the surge cannot yet be linked to the Iran war, pointing instead to...
U.S. Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and tinplate steel remain at 50%, despite a Supreme Court ruling that struck down broader trade measures. The Midwest Premium for aluminum broke the $1‑per‑pound barrier in January 2026, pushing input costs for metal‑packaging producers...
Atlantic Council senior fellow Lichfield was quoted in a Bloomberg piece highlighting how governments are insulating their economies from the fallout of the Iran‑Israel conflict. He noted that nations are bolstering strategic petroleum reserves, diversifying supply chains, and employing financial...
The Bureau of Economic Analysis revised fourth‑quarter 2025 data, showing GDP growth slowed to 1.5% annualized, well below the 2.2% forecast earlier this year. The downgrade reflects weaker consumer spending, a modest rebound in inflation, and a softening labor market....
The Pentagon has concluded that Iran’s missile arsenal, rather than naval mines, represents the chief danger to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts note that Iran’s short‑ and medium‑range ballistic missiles can reach vessels transiting the narrow waterway,...
UAE minister Lana Nusseibeh warned Iran must stop attacks on Gulf neighbours before any mediation can succeed, tying a diplomatic breakthrough to President Donald Trump’s leadership. She described the Iranian strikes on Dubai airport, hotels and infrastructure as shocking and...
Poland’s inflation outlook has soured as March petrol prices jumped roughly 15%, threatening to push the CPI above the 3% year‑on‑year mark. While core inflation remained modest, the surge in oil and gas prices—driven by the Middle East conflict—creates a...
Four years after Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, Moldova has withstood Moscow’s destabilisation campaign and moved forward on its EU accession path. The country secured candidate status in 2022 and opened accession negotiations in 2024, while President Maia Sandu won...
Vietnam has tightened restrictions on raw rare‑earth exports to force domestic refining, positioning itself as a niche superpower in critical minerals. Meanwhile, the United States is building a broad coalition of more than 50 partners through initiatives like the Critical...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to elevate India to a fully developed economy by August 15, 2047, marking the nation’s centennial of independence. Over the past twenty years, India has posted strong GDP growth, while recent years have seen an unprecedented surge...
India became the United States' top supplier of cotton products in 2025, overtaking China for the first time in recent years. The USDA reports that India shipped roughly 0.6 million metric tonnes, while China delivered about 0.5 million tonnes, out of total...
U.S. Trade Representative Joseph Barloon rejected the draft WTO reform plan presented by a Norway‑led group, calling the language ambiguous and the discussions insufficiently mature. The refusal comes ahead of the WTO trade ministers’ meeting in Cameroon scheduled for March 26‑29,...
The fifth meeting of the UK‑EU Trade Specialised Committee on Customs Cooperation and Rules of Origin was held on 16 October 2025 and the minutes were published on 13 March 2026. Delegates reviewed progress on customs valuation, intellectual‑property enforcement, and the administration of rules...
India’s foreign‑exchange reserves dropped to $716.81 billion for the week ended March 6, a decline of $11.68 billion from the prior week—the steepest fall in more than a year. The Reserve Bank of India sold roughly $6.1 billion of dollars to defend the rupee...
Rob Jetten leads the Netherlands’ first minority coalition, formed by D66, CDA and VVD, holding only 66 of 150 parliamentary seats. The government’s agenda emphasizes a stronger European pillar within NATO, a 3.5% of GDP defence spending target, and joint...
The Reserve Bank of India purchased a record 572.10 billion rupees (about $6.2 billion) of government bonds in the week ending 6 March, marking its third straight week of net buying. The purchases are part of a broader liquidity infusion strategy aimed at...
Brazil announced a provisional measure that eliminates federal PIS and Cofins taxes on diesel for domestic consumption while imposing a 12% export tax on crude oil and a 50% levy on diesel shipments. The move, driven by soaring crude prices...
Canada’s labour market contracted in February 2026, with Statistics Canada reporting a loss of 84,000 jobs, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.7%. The decline was driven by a 47,000‑job drop among youth and a 41,000‑job loss among men aged 25‑54,...
A Russian LNG tanker, the Arctic Metagaz, was struck by Ukrainian naval drones and left drifting in the Mediterranean between Italy and Malta. The vessel’s 30 crew were evacuated, and while the hull remains afloat, the amount of LNG on board...
Canada escaped inclusion in the Trump administration's latest Section 301 tariff investigations, even as Washington revamps its trade‑war toolkit after a Supreme Court setback. The U.S. has imposed interim 10% tariffs under Section 122, with a potential rise to 15% before a...
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is near‑completion of CAPE, a new module within the ACE platform that will let importers electronically claim refunds on duties imposed under IEEPA. The USTR has launched a Section 301 investigation into alleged overcapacity in...
The Cotton Association of India (CAI) trimmed its 2025‑26 cotton import forecast to 47 lakh bales, down three lakh from the earlier 50‑lakh estimate, citing higher international prices, a weaker rupee and rising freight costs. Despite the cut, imports remain above...
U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor announced that India and the United States are on the brink of finalising a critical minerals agreement, with a major public announcement expected within months. The pact is designed to shore up supply chains for advanced...
Rep. Elise Stefanik introduced the Trucking Security and CCP Disclosure Act of 2026, mandating that every carrier in the Department of Defense freight chain certify it has no ownership or control ties to Chinese military‑linked entities. The bill creates a...
Nigeria’s central bank, under new governor Olayemi Cardoso, has shifted back to orthodox monetary policy after a period of development‑bank‑style interventions. Since taking office in October 2023, Cardoso led a tightening cycle that pushed the policy rate to a record...
Egypt raised domestic fuel prices by 14‑17% after the Strait of Hormuz closure, prompting immediate transport fare hikes and higher food costs for ordinary Egyptians. The surge in energy prices has accelerated inflation, with staple items like bread and tomatoes...
Italy's industrial production in January 2026 slipped 0.6% month‑on‑month, extending a downturn. Year‑on‑year output also fell 0.6%, reversing a modest 2.7% gain recorded in December. While energy output grew and transport equipment rose, consumer, intermediate and investment goods contracted, and...
European leaders, including Germany’s Friedrich Merz, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemned the Trump administration’s decision to temporarily lift sanctions on stranded Russian oil. They argue the move will replenish Moscow’s war chest and undermine the G7’s unified pressure on Russia...
European freight forwarders are reducing exposure to the United States amid unpredictable tariff policies and turning to South‑East Asia for new import opportunities. The region, bolstered by the broader “China+1” diversification, shows steady growth, with Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam leading...
/file/attachments/2989/13825937_617136.jpg)
Former President Donald Trump told G7 leaders in a virtual meeting that Iran is "about to surrender," citing the ongoing U.S.-Israel Operation Epic Fury. He boasted that the campaign had eliminated a threat and dismissed Iranian leadership as "deranged scumbags."...
A Harris Poll finds 72% of Americans say Trump’s tariffs have raised their costs, with grocery items like beef and coffee seeing double‑digit price jumps. Despite a Supreme Court ruling limiting many levies, the administration plans a 15% baseline tariff...
