Global Economy News and Headlines
Global Economy News and Headlines
Global Economy Pulse
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Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Eurozone February inflation rose modestly, with headline rates climbing from 1.7 % to 1.9 % and core inflation edging up to 2.4 %. The increase occurred despite a smaller energy contribution, signalling persistent price pressures in services and goods. The ongoing Middle East war threatens to lift energy costs, especially LNG, raising the risk of inflation rebounding into the mid‑2 % range. Consequently, the ECB remains on high alert but is unlikely to tighten policy immediately.
China has reclaimed its position as Asia’s busiest buyout market, according to Deloitte’s latest private‑equity report. A surge in domestic and regional fund activity offset a decline in Western capital, driving a 28% increase in deal volume year‑over‑year. The market...
Governor P. Nandalal Weerasinghe outlined the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s policy roadmap for 2026, building on the macro‑economic stability achieved in 2025. He highlighted that despite global trade uncertainties, market volatility and geopolitical tensions, inflation fell below 5 % and...
At Posidonia 2026, CORE POWER will host a high‑level executive briefing on civil maritime nuclear propulsion, signaling a shift from theoretical debate to concrete industry engagement. Leaders from shipping, finance, ports and energy will discuss fourth‑generation molten‑salt reactors that could...
In 2025 Norges Bank cut its policy rate twice, first to 4.25% in June and then to 4% in September, surprising markets despite the bank’s stated commitment to transparent communication. Governor Pål Longva highlighted ongoing efforts to convey forecast uncertainty,...
Italy's February preliminary HICP rose 1.6% year‑on‑year, beating the 1.1% consensus. Core inflation accelerated to 2.4% from 1.7% in January, with services inflation jumping to 3.6%. The hotter reading aligns with broader Eurozone CPI data, intensifying price‑pressure concerns. Analysts suggest...
India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies has opened a counter‑vailing duty investigation into imports of Chinese PVC resins after domestic producers filed complaints. The petitioners, including Chemplast Cuddalore Vinyls, DCM Shriram and DCW Ltd, claim Chinese manufacturers receive government subsidies that enable...
Turkey's annual inflation rose to 31.5% in February, driven primarily by a 2.96% month‑on‑month CPI increase. Food prices surged, with annual food inflation at 36.5%, while core inflation eased to 29.5%, its lowest since late 2021. Producer‑price inflation remained around...
Vietnamese exporters are confronting higher logistics, insurance and raw‑material costs as Middle‑East tensions disrupt Red Sea shipping lanes. Companies such as Dony Garment and Cat Van Loi report potential 15‑20‑day delays that could jeopardise peak‑season deliveries and project timelines. Panic‑buying...
In a February 2026 speech to Italy’s Parliamentary Committee, ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone outlined the digital euro initiative, stressing its role in modernising payments and reinforcing trust through democratic legitimacy. He framed the project as a strategic response...
ECB Governing Council member Francois Villeroy warned that forecasting a rate move too quickly would be a mistake, emphasizing that policy decisions will not hinge solely on volatile energy prices. He noted that France’s exposure to Middle‑East tensions remains limited,...
After the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Trump administration barred eleven ICC judges and prosecutors from using U.S.-based payment cards, email services and e‑commerce platforms. The sanctions effectively cut off access...
The United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iran after the February 27 assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, prompting Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz and target regional airports. Iran’s resilient regime is now focused on defending its...
U.S. President Donald Trump told The Sun that the U.S.-U.K. partnership has deteriorated after Prime Minister Keir Starmer delayed permitting American forces to use British bases for defensive strikes against Iran. Trump contrasted Britain’s stance with France’s support, calling the...
Senior leaders from travel, finance, technology and government have launched the Global Resilience Network (GRN), a cross‑sector coordination platform active across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. GRN moves beyond traditional forums by providing an invitation‑only infrastructure that...
Japan’s unemployment rate ticked up to 2.7% in January, ending a five‑month decline. The labor ministry reported a 0.4% dip in total employment and a 3.2% rise in the unemployed, driven largely by a 7.9% jump in voluntary quits. Job...
French Foreign Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot and Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held a call to coordinate de‑escalation of the escalating Iran conflict. Both ministers pledged to pursue a political solution that safeguards collective security while acknowledging Iranian aspirations. Barrot accused Tehran...
The Bank of Japan is likely to postpone its March interest‑rate hike as market volatility from the US‑Iran conflict intensifies. Yen depreciation remains the only clear trigger for a hike, but geopolitical risk and rising oil prices are prompting caution....
Union Maritime, a UK‑based tanker operator, is linked to its first Newcastlemax bulk carrier order, potentially securing up to four 215,000‑dwt vessels from China’s Wuhu Shipyard. The deal includes two firm ships and two options at roughly $76 million each, with...
BMI warns that the Israel‑Iran conflict will increase policy uncertainty and deter foreign investment in India. The firm keeps its FY2026/27 GDP growth forecast at 7 % but flags geopolitical risks that could offset gains from new US and EU trade...
Performance Shipping, the Nasdaq‑listed Greek tanker owner, has signed contracts for two 158,000 dwt suezmax vessels with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. Each newbuild costs $81.5 million and is scheduled for delivery in October 2028 and May 2029. The ships will be Tier III, scrubber‑fitted and meet...
Taiwan, home to 23 million people, sits at the nexus of global trade routes and the semiconductor supply chain, making its stability a linchpin for worldwide commerce. The Kuomintang (KMT) argues that the island should not be forced to align exclusively...
VLCC charter rates surged to a record $424,000 per day after the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran, as the Strait of Hormuz was officially closed to traffic. Spot rates for Middle‑East‑to‑China voyages jumped well above $400,000, dwarfing the recent $100,000‑plus benchmarks....
U.S. and Chinese officials have begun talks to revive reciprocal investment ahead of President Donald Trump's scheduled visit to Beijing. Both sides are exploring structured joint ventures and licensing arrangements, with Beijing demanding stronger protection for its firms and Washington...
UK inflation fell to a ten‑month low in January, reviving hopes of a Bank of England rate cut in March. However, gilt yields surged, with five‑year yields up 19 basis points, ten‑year up 14 basis points and two‑year up 12...
Ukraine’s domestically produced FP‑5 Flamingo cruise missile achieved a landmark strike in February, hitting the Votkinsk missile‑production complex deep inside Russia. The missile, developed by startup Fire Point, boasts a claimed 3,000‑kilometre range and a payload of over one tonne,...
The US‑Iran conflict has driven NYMEX heating‑oil futures up more than 12%, causing diesel premiums at Brazilian ports to more than double within a day. Spot‑market diesel deals are expected to grind to a halt as import costs surge and...
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that gross operating profits across private‑sector firms rose 5.8% in the December quarter, driven largely by an 8.1% surge in mining profits. Mining sales grew 1.2% and inventories increased 0.7%, while wages in the...
Oil prices continued to rise as the United States and Israel escalated military actions against Iran, prompting Tehran to threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz and launch drone attacks on the U.S. embassy in Riyadh. Brent crude climbed above...
Oil prices jumped nearly 10 % after Iran’s retaliatory strikes, prompting JPMorgan to warn that Brent could reach $120 per barrel if Strait of Hormuz disruptions persist. Pakistan, which imports 85 % of its crude, faces a current‑account deficit increase of $1.5‑$2 billion...
Global equities fell on March 2 as escalating Middle East tensions pushed oil prices higher, reviving inflation concerns. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped up to 2%, with South Korea’s Kospi sliding more than 4% after a long‑weekend session. U.S. S&P 500...
RSPG, the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF, offers investors exposure to 22 U.S. energy companies positioned to benefit from rising oil prices amid the Iran conflict. Its equal‑weight methodology normalizes valuation outliers and reduces concentration risk, eliminating the...
US‑Israeli attacks on Iran have halted vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening paraxylene (PX) shipments from Saudi Arabia's Jubail port to the US Gulf Coast. While 56% of US PX imports come from Saudi Arabia, roughly half load...
Brazil is accelerating toward becoming the world’s fourth‑largest oil producer, buoyed by its 2025 entry into OPEC+ and a massive offshore pre‑salt development program. The pre‑salt basins, which contain 81% of the nation’s proven reserves, are driving a 14.6% jump...
Missouri farmer Brian Willott warns that Brazil’s expanding double‑cropping of corn and soy is intensifying global competition for U.S. grain. He argues that U.S. corn’s quality edge must be leveraged to secure premium prices and new export markets. Willott also...
Re‑export demand for diammonium phosphate (DAP) at New Orleans lifted prices to $650 per short tonne, a 4% rise from the previous week. About 30,000 st were sold for re‑export, mainly to a Latin‑American distributor, while 170,000 t of DAP arrived at Nola...
Middle‑East hostilities have forced Qatar to shut its flagship LNG export plant and Saudi Arabia to pause operations at its largest oil refinery, while tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly stopped. The disruptions arrive amid a global...
Spot ammonia prices in the US Corn Belt surged on March 2, with CF Industries raising offers to $760‑$850 per short ton at inland locations. The jump reflects strong pre‑plant fertilizer demand and a tightening nitrogen market influenced by the Middle...
Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, is driving heightened volatility across global markets. Oil and natural‑gas prices have surged, prompting a risk‑off shift in equities and signaling inflation concerns in bond yields. Municipal bond investors face uncertain supply‑demand...
CFOs are grappling with sudden tariff volatility after the Supreme Court struck down Trump‑imposed duties, only for the administration to reimpose a 10% flat tariff that quickly rose to 15%. The back‑and‑forth has left manufacturers uncertain about sourcing, lead times,...
Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the Iran‑Israel conflict threatens to choke oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude futures to their highest level in over a year. Higher energy prices could lift inflation and undermine the...
The United States and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sinking warships and striking more than 1,000 targets. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth framed the operation as a focused effort to destroy Iran’s...
The U.S.–Israel air strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 have heightened geopolitical risk, creating a fluid credit environment that could swing from rapid de‑escalation to a protracted regional war. DoubleLine’s Global Sovereign Debt team entered the episode with a defensive posture,...
British manufacturers have sharply reduced their focus on the United States in 2025 due to President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff regime, according to the UK Trade Barometer survey of 2,000 firms. Export activity migrated to Asia and Europe, with China,...
Uzbekistan has accelerated economic integration with Afghanistan, with 2025 bilateral trade reaching $1.5‑$1.68 billion—a 53% jump from the prior year and 2.5‑fold growth since 2021. Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev aims to lift trade to $5 billion, backed by a forthcoming Kabul...
ING analyst Frantisek Taborsky warns that Central and Eastern European (CEE) currencies, especially the Hungarian forint and Turkish lira, will feel downward pressure as an Iran‑related energy shock pushes oil and gas prices higher and strengthens the US dollar. The...
Philippine stocks tumbled on Monday as the PSEi slipped 2.79% to 6,426.83 points, driven by heightened US‑Iran tensions and fears of rising oil prices. The sell‑off was broad‑based, with the services sector falling 4.11% and foreign investors exiting with net...
Poland’s central bank is poised to cut rates by 25 basis points in March, aligning with its recent dovish communication and a cooling inflation outlook. However, recent US‑Israeli strikes on Iran have raised oil prices, introducing upside risks to headline...
The U.S.-Israeli strike on Iranian targets and Tehran's retaliatory actions have caused a sudden shutdown of maritime traffic in the Gulf of Oman, especially the Strait of Hormuz. Ship groundings and heightened naval alerts have crippled oil tanker movements and...
BC Partners' Europe chairman Nikos Stathopoulos says tariffs are the top risk for private equity. He adds that despite regulatory complexities, Europe currently serves as a safe‑haven for investors. The firm highlights that tariff volatility threatens deal pricing and exit...
