Global Economy Social Media and Updates

Asian Nations Revert to Coal as LNG Prices Soar
SocialApr 4, 2026

Asian Nations Revert to Coal as LNG Prices Soar

Asian economies are abandoning Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and PIVOTING BACK to coal. Since Feb. 28, the FT reports gas prices are up 60%, while coal prices are only up by 17%. https://t.co/FefK5JR7MN

By Steve Hanke
ECB's Next Meeting: Possible Rate Hike or Hold
SocialApr 4, 2026

ECB's Next Meeting: Possible Rate Hike or Hold

Sleijpen says next ECB discussion will be a rate hike or hold https://t.co/nsySCHZ2Ld via @patrickreports https://t.co/QVU1clfZB5

By Zöe Schneeweiss
Iran's Industrial Self‑sufficiency Targeted by US‑Israel Bombings
SocialApr 4, 2026

Iran's Industrial Self‑sufficiency Targeted by US‑Israel Bombings

The Gulf states ruled by family dictatorships are mostly Gas Stations… their economies are heavily reliant on oil/gas. Iran is HEAVILY industrialised & self sufficient in most things. The US-Israel are bombing the industrial hubs in Iran… Cruel.. https://t.co/3vRM1Nt7XG

By Kudzai Mutisi
Iran Declares Iraq Exempt From Hormuz Restrictions
SocialApr 4, 2026

Iran Declares Iraq Exempt From Hormuz Restrictions

My thesis is already aging well. "Iran says Iraq exempt from any Strait of Hormuz restrictions" https://t.co/VSTaM2D34T

By Andreas Steno Larsen
Mearsheimer: Trump's Advisers Prioritize Israel over Iran Peace
SocialApr 4, 2026

Mearsheimer: Trump's Advisers Prioritize Israel over Iran Peace

Distinguished UChicago Prof. John Mearsheimer on Trump's foreign emissaries: "Trump's principal advisers are both ardent Zionists. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are deeply committed to Israel. They were not interested in working out a deal with the Iranians to avoid a...

By Steve Hanke
Iran’s Island Chain Secures Strait of Hormuz Dominance
SocialApr 4, 2026

Iran’s Island Chain Secures Strait of Hormuz Dominance

"The Islands That Give Iran a Stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz." Good analysis @WSJ https://t.co/Bq6iyg2c3C

By John Spencer
Jones Act Tankers Shield Gas Prices From Market Volatility
SocialApr 4, 2026

Jones Act Tankers Shield Gas Prices From Market Volatility

Example #1 why the JONES ACT worke by providing long-term fixed rate tankers on dedicated service. What would gas prices be today if 55 Jones Act tankers were not in service but we had to compete for MR tankers on...

By Sal Mercogliano
Trump Era Mirrors Hoover: Market Overvaluation Sparks Gold Surge
SocialApr 4, 2026

Trump Era Mirrors Hoover: Market Overvaluation Sparks Gold Surge

Hoover 1929 vs. Trump 2026: Cycles Favoring Risk-Off vs. Risk Assets - The election of President Donald Trump in 2024 has a disconcerting parallel with that of President Herbert Hoover in 1928 -- US stock-market capitalization stretched to over 2x...

By Mike McGlone
California Gas Prices Surge, Hitting Coastal Residents Hard
SocialApr 4, 2026

California Gas Prices Surge, Hitting Coastal Residents Hard

If this gives us sticker shock here — and it does — we have to spare a thought for those on the California coast. #energy #gas #inflation #economy #markets

By Mohamed El‑Erian
Trump’s Bold Claims Ignored by Iran’s Actual Strike
SocialApr 4, 2026

Trump’s Bold Claims Ignored by Iran’s Actual Strike

Just a few weeks before a US aircraft was shot down in Iran, President Trump had this to say: “We literally have planes flying over Tehran... They [Iran] can't do a thing about it." TRUMP'S RHETORIC RARLEY MATCHES REALITY.  https://t.co/UVqGJAzX2e

By Steve Hanke
Delayed Sanctions Squandered Cooperation, Worsened War Costs
SocialApr 4, 2026

Delayed Sanctions Squandered Cooperation, Worsened War Costs

In a war of choice, these dynamics were foreseeable. With enough preparation ahead of time, the admin could have at least mitigated the costs and tradeoffs for other countries (and get more cooperation as a result). Instead, they’ve lifted sanctions during...

By Skanda Amarnath
Pakistan to Settle $2 B UAE Loan by Month‑end
SocialApr 4, 2026

Pakistan to Settle $2 B UAE Loan by Month‑end

Pakistan will repay a $2 billion loan to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by the end of this month, a media report said on Friday.

By Sobhit Kandari
Services Now Claim 70% of Consumer Spending
SocialApr 4, 2026

Services Now Claim 70% of Consumer Spending

Since 1959, consumption of services has grown from 45% of total spend to 69% today; the share of spending related to nondurable goods has been more than halved, from 41% to 20% today. https://t.co/3ZxEaKRIB5

By Lawrence Hamtil
India Resumes Iranian Oil Imports Amid Tight Supply
SocialApr 4, 2026

India Resumes Iranian Oil Imports Amid Tight Supply

This is a major signal shift: India a top global importer is openly buying Iranian oil again When supply tightens, politics gives way to reality. #Oil #EnergyCrisis #Iran #Geopolitics

By Art Berman Blog
Shipping Squeeze: Tanker Rates Surge Amid Iran War
SocialApr 4, 2026

Shipping Squeeze: Tanker Rates Surge Amid Iran War

OUT NOW - @ed_fin on historic squeeze in shipping: -Why tanker rates soar 2-10x+ on Iran War🛢️ -Strait re-opening = "feeding frenzy"; if not "crisis"⚓️ -Routes/vessels/stocks best poised 🚢 Apple🔊https://t.co/qUjYx8adg2 Spotify📽️https://t.co/07NUjj4n74 https://t.co/3ZLXMZR8p2

By Jack Farley
Inflation Ties Stocks and Bonds, Boosting Bond Yields
SocialApr 4, 2026

Inflation Ties Stocks and Bonds, Boosting Bond Yields

Inflationary regime... stocks & bonds moving together JPMAM While that means less diversification, it also means higher bond yields vs the 2010s.. when bonds zigged when stocks zagged... it's a trade-off. https://t.co/VNDHInIcmI

By Mike Zaccardi
March Jobs Report Hides Drop in Total Hours
SocialApr 4, 2026

March Jobs Report Hides Drop in Total Hours

An overlooked aspect of the March jobs report: total hours worked actually fell in the month https://t.co/ZdEGUdFNjX

By Dean Baker
EU‑US Alliance Crumbling Before Our Eyes
SocialApr 4, 2026

EU‑US Alliance Crumbling Before Our Eyes

We are watching the complete meltdown of the EU / US relationship in real time currently

By Andreas Steno Larsen
Meloni Heads to Doha to Secure Gulf Energy Ties
SocialApr 4, 2026

Meloni Heads to Doha to Secure Gulf Energy Ties

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Doha Saturday as part of a 2-day diplomatic charm offensive meant to shore up ties with the Gulf and bolster energy supplies hit by the war in Iran https://t.co/qFF0IY3avN via @donatopmancini @ssirletti https://t.co/r8GavWDRH6

By Zöe Schneeweiss
Trump Misreads Oil Markets: Global Pricing Overrides Independence
SocialApr 4, 2026

Trump Misreads Oil Markets: Global Pricing Overrides Independence

Trump thinks US energy independence protects Americans from Gulf shocks. But he FAILS TO SEE that global markets are pricing all barrels the same. TRUMP = CLEARLY DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THE MARKETS FOR OIL. https://t.co/tp5LhHAisM

By Steve Hanke
Europe Sees No Military Fix for Hormuz Crisis
SocialApr 4, 2026

Europe Sees No Military Fix for Hormuz Crisis

Europe sees no military fix for Hormuz, says @BBC “No upside” to joining the war. The Gulf wants it to continue—until flows resume. Same crisis. Completely different incentives. #Oil #Hormuz #Geopolitics #EnergyCrisis

By Art Berman Blog
Oil Ignites Inflation, Spreading Like an Uncontrollable Fire
SocialApr 4, 2026

Oil Ignites Inflation, Spreading Like an Uncontrollable Fire

Oil is the spark, but inflation is the fire. And once it spreads, it’s much harder to contain. https://t.co/U5hKXq9zFE

By Peter Mallouk
U.S. Intel: Iran Unlikely to Reopen Hormuz, Oil Leverage
SocialApr 4, 2026

U.S. Intel: Iran Unlikely to Reopen Hormuz, Oil Leverage

U.S. Intel Warns Iran Has No Incentive to Reopen Hormuz as Oil Leverage Grows. Economic vs military advantage. Can and how can Iran’s grasp be stopped? Will there be a protracted military operation? As supply and supply chains struggle. ...

By Tom Craig
India Resumes Iranian Oil Imports After Sanctions Eased
SocialApr 4, 2026

India Resumes Iranian Oil Imports After Sanctions Eased

New Delhi confirms its buying oil from Iran (after US eased sanctions): “… Indian refiners have secured their crude oil requirements, including from Iran; and there is no payment hurdle for Iranian crude imports…”

By Javier Blas
First Ships Navigate Hormuz, Redefining Global Shipping Risks
SocialApr 4, 2026

First Ships Navigate Hormuz, Redefining Global Shipping Risks

Controlled Passage: First Ships Edge Through Hormuz as Crisis Redefines Global Shipping. Iran vs UNCLOS. Shipping cost and war risk insurance vs value of cargo. Supply chain chaos. Supply shortages and impact—macro and micro. https://t.co/NYGVyblHEB

By Tom Craig
Zero Job Growth Seen as Full Employment, Yet Fragile
SocialApr 4, 2026

Zero Job Growth Seen as Full Employment, Yet Fragile

22,500 jobs a month would have set off alarms two years ago. Today it might be fine. Fed officials are still grappling with how to explain that. “Conveying that a zero-job-growth economy is consistent with full employment is not easy,”...

By Nick Timiraos
Energy Crisis Could Spill Into Broader Economy, Warns ECB's Radev
SocialApr 4, 2026

Energy Crisis Could Spill Into Broader Economy, Warns ECB's Radev

ECB’s Radev says the energy crisis may spread to the wider economy https://t.co/3xVWeBrdqt via @GoodOldSlav https://t.co/xy7r5rcfIa

By Zöe Schneeweiss
Germany Leads EU Push to Tax Energy Windfall Profits
SocialApr 4, 2026

Germany Leads EU Push to Tax Energy Windfall Profits

Germany among states pushing the EU to tax energy windfall profits https://t.co/ik4V4nYwqA via @iaindrogers https://t.co/zhu4LTgKRe

By Zöe Schneeweiss
Manufacturers Flood ISM Surveys with Negative Tariff Criticism
SocialApr 4, 2026

Manufacturers Flood ISM Surveys with Negative Tariff Criticism

"Since Mr Trump took charge, most of the comments from manufacturers that ISM has published along with its surveys have mentioned tariffs. Not one has been positive. Many of the unpublished ones are more forceful still." https://t.co/CPYmAXhPEP https://t.co/01lBtbBHB6

By Scott Lincicome
South Africa's Tax Receipts Outpace GDP Growth
SocialApr 4, 2026

South Africa's Tax Receipts Outpace GDP Growth

Hold on guys, do the math here: For the full year 2025, South Africa's real GDP growth rate was 1.1%. The nominal GDP grew by around 4%, reaching a total value of +-R7.6 trillion But, PAYE collections grew R59.9 billion more than the...

By Talk Cents
Canada Seeks to Grow Financial Services in China
SocialApr 4, 2026

Canada Seeks to Grow Financial Services in China

1/12 Bloomberg: "Canada pitched expanding its financial services presence in the Chinese market as the northern nation aims to increase exports to its second-largest trading partner in a push to diversify from the US." https://t.co/MifJtmoDWc

By Michael Pettis
Iran's Conventional Strength Forces Global Trade Reset
SocialApr 4, 2026

Iran's Conventional Strength Forces Global Trade Reset

I wrote this at the beginning of the war. I don't like to predict things, but it appears that the initial probabilities I'd spoken of have kinda sorta come about. The war will continue, but now there is an attempt...

By Deepak Shenoy
Turkey's Gold Reserves Fall to Defend Lira Peg
SocialApr 4, 2026

Turkey's Gold Reserves Fall to Defend Lira Peg

There's 3 central banks that publish weekly data on FX reserves and gold holdings: India, Thailand and Turkey. Only Turkey has seen a sustained drop in gold holdings (blue) that have been used to lift FX reserves and defend the...

By Robin Brooks
Live: Oil Prices, Weak Dollar, Central Bank Gold Sales
SocialApr 4, 2026

Live: Oil Prices, Weak Dollar, Central Bank Gold Sales

I'm doing a livestream this morning at 9 am (ET) to talk through: (i) the different oil prices floating around and how they all fit together; (ii) how the Dollar is trading weak, with yesterday's payrolls another example; (iii) central...

By Robin Brooks
Global Markets Eye War, CPI Data, and RBI Caps
SocialApr 4, 2026

Global Markets Eye War, CPI Data, and RBI Caps

Week Ahead: Still mostly about the war. US and China report March CPI. China's PPI may have emerged from deflation. Canada reports March jobs data. RBI is relying on cap controls to support INR, not...

By Marc Chandler
Sixth Week of Hormuz War Sparks Oil Demand Destruction
SocialApr 4, 2026

Sixth Week of Hormuz War Sparks Oil Demand Destruction

The Third Gulf War (aka, the ‘Hormuz War’) is entering into its 6th week, at the very end of the initial White House guidance of a 4-6 week campaign. For the oil market, we are into demand destruction territory, although...

By Javier Blas
Oil Prices Fuel Inflation Yet Trigger Recessionary Pullback
SocialApr 4, 2026

Oil Prices Fuel Inflation Yet Trigger Recessionary Pullback

𝗢𝗶𝗹 𝗖𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 The reporter, David Lin, asks his guest "𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 (𝗙𝗲𝗱) 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲? His guest, Jeff Christian, Managing Partner of CPM Group states that "oil cuts both ways in terms...

By Talk Cents
Tariffs Became Missiles, Sparking a Trade World War
SocialApr 4, 2026

Tariffs Became Missiles, Sparking a Trade World War

The World War Trade 🎙️ podcast is up! 👉"If tariffs were missiles, the whole world would know that a world war started on April 2, 2025. That is the day Donald Trump launched tariffs against almost every nation in the world." 👉"Hours later, China put...

By Richard Baldwin
Germany’s Global GDP Share Slipping to 4% by 2030
SocialApr 4, 2026

Germany’s Global GDP Share Slipping to 4% by 2030

Good Morning from Germany, a country whose influence on the world stage is fading. Its share of global GDP is expected to fall to 4% by 2030. https://t.co/Y1dVwTJYJC

By Holger Zschaepitz
Strait of Hormuz Now Central as Vulnerabilities Rise
SocialApr 4, 2026

Strait of Hormuz Now Central as Vulnerabilities Rise

“They've demonstrated to the Gulf states how vulnerable they are and how vulnerable the global economy is,” said a European official briefed on diplomatic efforts to end the war. “So the price has gone up. The Strait of Hormuz never...

By Javier Blas
Top Developers' Sales Drop 23%, Existing Market Revives
SocialApr 4, 2026

Top Developers' Sales Drop 23%, Existing Market Revives

Caixin: "Sales by China’s top 100 real estate developers plunged roughly 23% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. The prolonged slump in new home sales contrasts with a nascent rebound in the existing home market of major cities like...

By Michael Pettis
Bank of Italy Slashes Growth Outlook to 0.5%
SocialApr 4, 2026

Bank of Italy Slashes Growth Outlook to 0.5%

Bank of Italy cuts growth forecast to 0.5% this year and next https://t.co/2uTKPU1ZMk via @Alemrome https://t.co/dT7DsBhjh4

By Zöe Schneeweiss
US Services Slip, Jobs Surge; India Manufacturing Hits 4‑year Low
SocialApr 4, 2026

US Services Slip, Jobs Surge; India Manufacturing Hits 4‑year Low

🌍 Global News Update: ⦿ S&P Global US Services PMI fell to 49.8 in March 2026, signaling first contraction in over three years. ⦿ S&P Global US Composite PMI revised to 50.3 in March 2026, lowest since September 2023. ⦿ US economy added...

By Rohit Srivastava
US Intel Says Iran Will Maintain Hormuz Chokehold
SocialApr 4, 2026

US Intel Says Iran Will Maintain Hormuz Chokehold

Exclusive: US intelligence warns Iran unlikely to ease Hormuz Strait chokehold soon, sources say https://t.co/s0QE23T6Eu

By Guy Faulconbridge
Pakistan's Fuel Prices Surge Amid US‑Israeli Iran Conflict
SocialApr 4, 2026

Pakistan's Fuel Prices Surge Amid US‑Israeli Iran Conflict

#PakWatch🇵🇰: Thanks to the US-Israeli war on Iran, Pakistan is entering TROUBLED ECONOMIC WATERS. The price per litre of petrol is up 42.7% and diesel 54.9%. PAK = SHOULD SEND THE BILL FOR DAMAGES TO TRUMP AND NETANYAHU. https://t.co/iSttCgOOSF

By Steve Hanke
Hormuz Shutdown Tests Global Supply Resilience, Not Just Prices
SocialApr 4, 2026

Hormuz Shutdown Tests Global Supply Resilience, Not Just Prices

A prolonged Hormuz closure is not mainly about whether wealthy countries can tolerate higher prices. It is about how long the global system can keep functioning before shortages begin to appear. https://t.co/ZnTkdfQu09

By Jigar Shah
Staggered Shocks Compound without Circuit Breaker
SocialApr 4, 2026

Staggered Shocks Compound without Circuit Breaker

This unfolds in stages, writes @elerianm First energy and rates, then broader cost-of-living pressure, and then slower growth with rising financial instability. This isn’t a one-round shock. Without a circuit breaker, the damage compounds. #Economy #EnergyCrisis #Inflation #Geopolitics

By Art Berman Blog
U.S. Energy Dominance Myth: Still Tied to Gulf
SocialApr 4, 2026

U.S. Energy Dominance Myth: Still Tied to Gulf

US "energy dominance" was a slogan that doesn't fit reality Global energy markets—and the structure of oil flows—bind the U.S. to the Gulf. The U.S. can’t walk away from Hormuz—even if it wants to. https://t.co/K7rntZRxBf #Oil #EnergyCrisis #Geopolitics #Hormuz

By Art Berman Blog
Russia's Ammonium Nitrate Export Halt Shocks Supply Chain
SocialApr 4, 2026

Russia's Ammonium Nitrate Export Halt Shocks Supply Chain

This matters—but it’s 11 days old @gaurav_kochar @KellyAlspals Russia halted ammonium nitrate exports (≈40% of global trade). That shock is already moving through the system. If you’re just seeing it now, you’re late. #Commodities #SupplyChain #EnergyCrisis

By Art Berman Blog