Global Economy News and Headlines
Global Economy News and Headlines
Global Economy Pulse
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Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
A dispute has emerged between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, and U.S. firm KoBold Metals over access to colonial-era geological archives housed at Belgium’s AfricaMuseum. The DRC wants to partner with KoBold to digitize data on cobalt, lithium and copper, turning historic records into AI‑driven exploration tools. Belgium blocks direct access, arguing KoBold lacks a state contract, while a Europe‑funded digitisation project promises gradual data release. Analysts say control of this information is becoming as valuable as the minerals themselves.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva used a New Delhi press conference to signal Brazil’s preference for a balanced, non‑confrontational relationship with the United States. By urging the Trump administration to treat all nations equally, he framed the upcoming Washington talks as a platform...
The UN Economic Commission for Africa warned that Africa’s massive youth cohort can become a global growth engine if investment is better linked to bankable projects. While capital exists, investors demand scale, security and market access, which the continent must...
The European Union and India have reached a landmark free‑trade agreement that will slash tariffs on the vast majority of bilateral trade, covering 96.6% of EU exports to India and 99.5% of Indian exports to the EU. Austrian State Secretary...
Overhaul’s 2025 Annual Cargo Theft Report shows that 82% of cargo theft incidents targeting Mexican truckers involved violence, with armed interceptions and driver assaults commonplace. While the central region remains the hotspot, the West’s share of thefts rose 7% in...
The U.S. Supreme Court nullified President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, prompting the administration to replace them with a blanket 15% tariff under Section 122. This shift lowers the average U.S. tariff rate to about...
Indonesia must orchestrate a record‑size share sale to lift the free‑float of 267 listed firms to at least 15%, up from the current 7.5% floor. The Indonesia Stock Exchange estimates the required issuance will total about 187 trillion rupiah (approximately S$14 billion),...
SafariCo Group is allocating $72 million to expand and refurbish its Tanzanian lodges, backed by a $50 million International Finance Corporation loan. The plan adds 184 rooms, pushing the portfolio beyond 1,000 keys across the Elewana, Explorer and Sopa brands. Tanzania’s tourism...
SAB’s annual report warns that Russia now frames relations with the West as an existential conflict, deploying a systematic hybrid toolkit that blends military, informational, cyber, legal and economic levers. The Kremlin’s distorted threat perception fuels a perception spiral, making...
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act cannot be used to impose sweeping global tariffs, forcing the Trump administration to abandon the IEEPA‑based duties on India. Hours later, President Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade...
At the Africa Business Forum 2026 in Addis Ababa, leaders launched the Jobs Wall Commitment Tracker to record public and private sector job promises. The gathering emphasized that Africa’s youthful demographic demands risk‑tolerant, long‑term capital focused on research, innovation, and...
ICRA projects India’s year‑on‑year GDP growth to ease to 7.2% in Q3 FY 2025‑26, down from 8.2% in the prior quarter. The slowdown is driven by weaker services (+7.8% versus +9.2%) and agriculture (+3.0% versus +3.5%) growth, even as industrial output...
President Donald Trump announced a new 15% tariff on imports, raising the rate from the 10% he mentioned a day earlier. The increase follows a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated his earlier reciprocal and fentanyl‑related tariffs. Trump said the tariffs...
The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 20 ruled 6‑3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize President Trump’s tariff program, nullifying roughly $133.5 billion in collected duties and raising the total overhang to about $175‑$179 billion. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent...
Colombia’s proven natural‑gas reserves have slumped to just over two trillion cubic feet, giving the country less than six years of production life. President Gustavo Petro’s policies—halting new exploration contracts and raising extractive taxes—have sharply curbed foreign investment and accelerated...
The Iranian rial has collapsed in 2026, spurring hyperinflation and prompting middle‑class savers to flee the banking system. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have attracted billions of dollars, echoing Lebanon’s 2019‑2021 crisis where crypto became a financial lifeline. On‑chain data shows...
Libya’s Ramadan celebrations unfolded amid soaring prices, fuel shortages and a sharply devalued dinar, highlighting deepening economic distress. The western central bank cut the currency by nearly 15% for the second time in a year, pushing cooking oil prices up...
The Supreme Court ruled 6‑3 that most Trump‑era tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act are invalid, wiping out 25% duties on Canadian and Mexican imports and a 20% hike on China. Sector‑specific duties on steel, aluminum and...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Tehran will not submit to external pressure as nuclear talks with the United States continue. He framed the stance as a defense of national sovereignty despite what he described as problems created by world...
Indigenous protesters occupied Cargill’s Santarem river‑port terminal in Brazil’s Pará state, completely halting operations. The terminal handled more than 5.5 million tonnes of soybeans and maize last year, accounting for over 70 % of the port’s grain volume. Demonstrators are opposing a...
Japan’s real wages are set to move into positive territory in January 2026 after a year of decline, driven by a slowdown in CPI inflation to 2% YoY and a suite of government price‑relief measures. Tax cuts on gasoline, tuition‑free...
India and Brazil signed a mining and minerals cooperation pact in New Delhi, aiming to secure raw material supplies for India's expanding steel sector. The agreement targets raising bilateral trade from roughly $15 bn to over $20 bn within five years, with...
Apollo Global Management’s co‑founder Marc Rowan told investors in Tokyo that Japan is on the brink of a major economic turnaround. He highlighted that trillions of dollars have been parked in cash and that recent corporate‑governance reforms are unlocking carve‑out...
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 ruling that invalidated President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariff regime, finding the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not grant the president authority to impose tariffs. Authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the...
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the 18% reciprocal tariffs imposed on Indian goods, prompting President Trump to replace them with a uniform 15% worldwide tariff under Section 122. This adjustment lowers the levy on Indian labour‑intensive exports—textiles, leather, shrimp—from the...
President Donald Trump has ordered a massive military buildup in the Middle East and is preparing for a possible multi‑week air strike against Iran, despite no clear strategic justification. Senior White House officials say the administration lacks unified support for...
South Korea announced it will closely monitor any new U.S. trade actions after the Supreme Court upheld the legality of former President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel, aluminum and certain Chinese goods. The ruling removes a major legal obstacle, allowing...
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s sweeping Section 232 tariffs, removing the 18% duty on many Indian exports. Hours later Trump announced a 10% global tariff on all imports, effective immediately. Indian exporters in gems, textiles, pharma and auto...
China’s railway giants are turning outward as domestic high‑speed lines saturate, seeking overseas contracts in Southeast and Central Asia. Projects already under way include Thailand’s 610 km line, Malaysia’s 665 km east‑west railway, and Indonesia’s Jakarta‑Bandung service that has moved 12 million passengers....
The Ukraine war has exposed Russia’s structural vulnerabilities, including demographic decline, waning energy leverage over Europe, and growing reliance on China. Simultaneously, Moscow has adapted its military doctrine, emphasizing drones, electronic warfare, and attritional tactics, while sanctions have not collapsed...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas trimmed its policy rate by 25 basis points to 4.25%, marking a cumulative 225‑basis‑point reduction since August 2024. The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines welcomed the move, arguing it will help revive economic growth and...
The Supreme Court narrowed presidential tariff authority, prompting the administration to rely on alternative statutes and refusing refunds for collected duties. This creates a new layer of substitution and retroactivity risk that markets now price into trade‑policy expectations. For capital‑intensive...
Milton Friedman’s 1980 warning that tariffs show visible benefits but hide widespread costs resonates amid recent US‑China trade frictions, where higher import duties have pushed up consumer prices and strained global supply chains. At the same time, India and Brazil...
The Reserve Bank of India kept its policy repo rate steady at 5.25% on February 6, signalling a neutral stance. ICICI Bank Global Markets expects this will translate into a prolonged pause through 2026‑27 as core inflation stays benign and oil‑price...
US Ambassador Sergio Gor told reporters in New Delhi that Washington does not want any country buying Russian oil as part of its effort to end the Ukraine war. He praised India’s recent diversification of crude supplies but reiterated the...
On February 20, 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6‑3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not give the President authority to impose tariffs, invalidating the IEEPA tariffs enacted by President Trump. The majority applied the major questions...
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 ruling on February 20, 2026, striking down President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The decision, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, holds that the Constitution reserves...
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6‑3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not give the President authority to impose tariffs, invalidating both the targeted fentanyl duties and broader reciprocal tariffs. The decision could unlock up to $175 billion in...
The U.S. Supreme Court declared President Trump’s IEEPA‑based tariffs illegal, opening the door to massive refund claims. Estimates suggest importers could seek as much as $175 billion in reimbursements, though the Court did not specify how refunds will be administered. Treasury,...
President Donald Trump signaled a possible 10% tariff on U.S. aluminum scrap imports after the Supreme Court struck down his earlier country‑specific duties. He indicated the executive order would invoke Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, which permits duties...
The European Central Bank has earmarked €1.3 billion for the digital euro’s development and expects annual operating costs of €320 million from 2029. A pilot phase will begin with a call for expressions of interest in March 2026, running six weeks, followed by...
Hong Kong‑based CK Hutchison has formally asked Panama to reopen talks on the concession to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals that flank the Panama Canal. The request follows a Panama Supreme Court ruling that declared the law granting the...
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6‑3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not give the president authority to impose the sweeping tariffs enacted under the Trump administration, effectively nullifying roughly $175 billion in duties. Ports and logistics firms are...
DoubleLine strategists Ryan Kimmel and Mark Kimbrough highlighted a sector rotation this week, with communications services, financials and industrials gaining while traditional “old economy” sectors such as utilities and real estate fell. In fixed income, investment‑grade yields edged higher, but...
A new IDB Invest technical note analyzes 21,696 MSMEs across 30 Latin American and Caribbean economies, linking credit access to employment growth. The study finds that an extra US$1 million in financing generates roughly four permanent jobs per year. Effects vary:...
Wall Street is bracing for President Donald Trump’s announcement of a new 10% global tariff after the Supreme Court ruled his earlier IEEPA tariffs unlawful. The decision could spark lengthy refund litigation for importers and may give the Federal Reserve...
The African Union’s February summit highlighted a packed 2026 election calendar, with more than a dozen nations heading to the polls, from Uganda and Benin to Ethiopia and South Sudan. Parallel security concerns dominate the agenda, as the DRC’s fragile...
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s emergency tariffs, sending the S&P 500 up 0.69% to 6,909 and the Dow up 230 points. The decision lifted a macro headwind for import‑dependent consumer‑discretionary firms, with Nike, Yeti and SharkNinja posting gains....
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump cannot invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs on agricultural inputs. The decision overturns several IEEPA tariffs on fertilizer and farm equipment, a relief for soybean growers. Despite the...
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 decision striking down President Trump’s global tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), ruling the move exceeded presidential authority. The majority held that IEEPA does not grant the power to...
