Theme: Trade

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law ratifying the intergovernmental agreement with China for the joint construction of a second main line of 1,435 mm gauge on the Zabaikalsk–Manzhouli border section. Under the document, the two countries will carry out the works jointly and in a synchronized way. The ratified document appears on Russia’s official legislative information portal. The ratification is presented as a step forward in Russia’s “eastward pivot” toward China, in the SCMP’s assessment.

The Democratic majority in Congress will now control trade committees and be able to investigate tariff policy, but repealing tariffs runs into Trump’s veto power. With at least 235 seats, according to Reuters projections, Democrats will hold trade committee chairs and have an easier time passing trade legislation. Democrats want to rescind old laws Trump used to impose tariffs, such as Section 338 of the 1930 Tariff Act, applied to Canadian imports. For Blake Harden of Ernst & Young, the congressional swing is “very unlikely” to have a significant impact on the president’s trade agenda and the tariffs in place — Trump will continue to pursue his tariff-driven trade agenda protecting workers, farmers and businesses, White House spokesman Matthew Middleton said.

The People’s Bank of China is working to extend e-CNY operating capability to offshore banks, including branches of existing operators in Hong Kong, said Lu Yuan, deputy head of the bank’s digital currency research institute, on a panel at Hong Kong Fintech Week. ICBC has already accumulated hundreds of billions of yuan in transactions in the currency, and the central bank counts around 4.3 billion transactions worth around 31 trillion yuan as of September.

According to OilPrice, the Japan-Korea Marker, Asia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) benchmark, topped $31 per million British thermal units this month and briefly rose above $33, compared with a little over $9 in January. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that the war between the United States, Israel and Iran cost the world some 60 billion cubic meters of LNG supply in the eight months to October. QatarEnergy has signed two long-term deals to buy US gas, 4 million tons a year from Cheniere Energy and 3 million tons a year from Woodside Energy, which will make it the biggest foreign buyer of US liquefied gas, according to Reuters. Global gas consumption fell 1%, or 35 billion cubic meters, in the first nine months of the year.

Construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is advancing on 28 of the 29 planned tunnels and 47 of the 50 bridges along the roughly 305-kilometer Kyrgyz section, according to Kyrgyz Railways, a partner in the project, in a report by OilPrice drawn from Eurasianet. About 22% of total construction work is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with tunnel excavation at 21.5%, earthworks at 67% and bridge foundations at 95%, according to the project's deputy director general; operations are officially scheduled for 2031. Once complete, the roughly 530-kilometer line will give China a shorter, faster and cheaper rail route into Central Asia and onward markets. Kyrgyzstan announced the start of construction of a new cargo airport at Manas, through which the railway will pass, envisioned as a key cog in an air, rail and road freight network.

Chinese genetic sequencing company Novogene has taken the US Department of Defense to court to challenge its inclusion on a Pentagon list of firms accused of supporting China’s military, according to the Times of India. The lawsuit was filed late Tuesday in a federal court in Washington; the company was added to the list in June, alongside Alibaba, Baidu, BYD and NIO, and is seeking to overturn its designation, arguing that the decision is unlawful and has damaged its business and reputation. From 2027, the Pentagon will be barred from purchasing products or services from the listed companies even through third-party suppliers. An injunction granted by a US court to Alibaba against Pentagon contract restrictions does not remove the company from the list, which it is continuing to challenge in court.

Export Trading Group (ETG) has filed a $120 million international arbitration claim against the Mozambican government to recover the value of 40,000 tonnes of pigeon peas, maize and rice seized under a ruling by a Nacala judge later dismissed over corruption, in a case opened on October 16, 2024. In a meeting with President Daniel Chapo on October 22, the group proposed a $2 billion fertilizer factory using Mozambican gas. Companhia Industrial da Matola (CIM) challenged on October 12, at the Tribunal Administrativo, the monopoly of the Instituto de Cereais de Moçambique (ICM) over grain imports, accusing Economy Minister Basílio Muhate and the institute of raising, without authorization, the charges paid by importers from $5 to $16 per tonne.

Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday that the United States is close to making a trade deal with Canada, but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said work remained and that Washington had dropped some demands. Carney said progress had been made but the deal was not done — “they’re asking less and they’re offering more, but we’re not quite there.” According to Carney, the U.S. withdrew earlier demands, including one that would have given Washington final say over trade deals Canada might sign with other nations.

The presidents Lee Jae Myung and Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed in Seoul to expand cooperation in nuclear energy and defense, signing a memorandum on financing for nuclear power projects to support the participation of South Korean companies. According to Lee, cooperation on Turkey’s Sinop nuclear power plant project “has been progressing smoothly.” On defense, the two countries agreed to expand joint production and technological cooperation and to explore opportunities for companies from both sides to enter third-country markets together. Bilateral trade reached a record $10.7 billion last year.

South Africa and Rwanda will lose their duty-free access to the US market after being excluded from the AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) program, according to France 24. With the program ending, South Africa is bracing for some job losses.

China has pledged to work with Pakistan to advance “high-level security cooperation” and ensure the security of the two countries’ joint infrastructure project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to the South China Morning Post. The messages were conveyed by Liu Haixing, head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, in separate meetings with Pakistan’s top military leader Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday, on his first official visit to the country since taking office just over a year ago. In his meeting with Munir, Liu said Beijing stands ready to deepen exchanges with Islamabad and pursue the “2.0” version of the corridor, according to a statement from the department released on Monday.

The presidents of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, and of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, signed in Seoul a memorandum on cooperation in financing nuclear projects to support the participation of South Korean companies in Turkey’s new nuclear power projects. Lee said cooperation on the Sinop plant project, including site assessments and the work of a joint working group, was “progressing smoothly” under the memorandum on nuclear energy cooperation signed in November 2025. The project aims to build Turkey’s second nuclear power plant, on its northern Black Sea coast, with the state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation seeking to participate. The two countries also agreed to deepen defense cooperation by expanding joint production and technological cooperation and jointly exploring opportunities for companies from both countries in third-country markets. The governments also signed an agreement on natural resources and mining and plan an intergovernmental channel to diversify critical mineral supply chains. Bilateral trade reached a record US$ 10.7 billion last year, according to Lee, after surpassing US$ 10 billion for the first time in 2023, a decade after the free trade agreement took effect in 2013.

The South African government confirmed the intention of the United States to withdraw the country’s benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) from January 1, 2027, with 60 days’ advance notice, according to SAnews, the South African government’s news service. Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said the decision does not define the broader relationship between the two countries and that a solution depends on the willingness of both sides. According to the government, Washington introduced new issues outside the scope of the negotiation process that began in 2025. South African exports under AGOA totaled nearly US$ 1.7 billion in 2025, down from US$ 4 billion in 2024, and accounted for roughly 1% of the country’s total exports. Bilateral trade reached US$ 28.8 billion in 2025, with more than 600 American companies operating in the country. South Africa supplies the United States with 12 of the 50 minerals Washington deems critical and 70% of the isotopes used in cancer treatments.

Shell agreed to sell its 16.67% stake in Australia's North West Shelf project to subsidiaries of XRG, the international arm of Abu Dhabi's state oil company (ADNOC), for $1.45 billion, according to Reuters, in text published by MarketScreener. The deal is expected to close in 2027 and includes an additional milestone-linked contingent payment on top of the base consideration. It is XRG's first investment in Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG); the project has 14.3 million tonnes a year of liquefaction capacity.

The European Union (EU) and the UK have completed their deal to remove Brexit checks on imports and exports of food and animal products ranging from sausages and cheese to leather goods and flowers. The sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) deal is not expected to be implemented until the first quarter of 2028, after a six-month delay to the second EU-UK summit, now due on 20 November. British trade with Europe has dropped by a third since 2019. The deal should remove the need for £200 export health certificates per shipment.

China’s securities regulator told investment banks to pause initial public offerings and suspend large share sales by existing shareholders until markets recover, according to the Financial Times, which cited three people with knowledge of the discussions, in informal guidance given at meetings in recent days, as reported by Reuters and republished by Street Insider — the move follows the CSI300 index falling 8.5% in October, its worst monthly performance in more than a decade, with Reuters saying it could not immediately verify the report, and comes after regulators adopted measures on Monday such as swap operations and an upgraded lending facility for stock buybacks.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Monday that Washington intends to suspend South Africa and Rwanda from duty-free access to the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), with South Africa as the largest beneficiary, exporting about 1.7 billion dollars in goods in 2025, citing barriers to US trade and investment, corruption and threats to US national security and foreign policy interests, as well as South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice — the South African government said it had received 60 days’ advance notice of the withdrawal of benefits effective January 1, 2027, with Trade Minister Parks Tau saying the decision does not define the broader relationship between the two countries and that a solution will depend on both sides’ willingness to engage, and that about 10% of exports to the US entered under AGOA in 2025, down from 28% in 2024.

US exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) hit their second-highest level in history, driven by a rise in European demand ahead of the start of winter, which pushed LNG prices higher. Shipments to Europe rose by 1 million tons last month, to 6.89 million tons, according to LSEG data cited by Reuters. European gas prices stood above 100 euros for the first time in four years.

United States President Donald Trump notified Congress of his intention to remove Rwanda and South Africa from the AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) preferential trade program from January 1, 2027, citing barriers to American trade and investment and national security and foreign policy concerns in the region. An annual review found that both governments engage in practices inconsistent with the eligibility criteria, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Monday that Washington intends to suspend South Africa and Rwanda from duty-free access to the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), according to Reuters.

Xi Jinping told Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, in Beijing, that the Gulf should not become an arena of great-power rivalry and that China wants to work with Arab nations for lasting peace, while Oman said it was open to a preferential bilateral trade and investment agreement with China, its largest trading partner, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Russia and Mozambique are working on launching a direct sea freight line, the Mozambican transport and logistics minister said. The draft memorandum on direct maritime transport between the countries is under discussion, with signing expected in 2027.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration has the “concept” of a new trade deal with Canada, without offering details. Trump said he had spoken to Prime Minister Mark Carney again and that the concept “is going to be great for our farmers, great for our country”. The statement comes after Carney announced progress toward a future trade deal between the two countries.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced progress toward a future trade deal with the United States. US President Donald Trump subsequently said both sides had a concept for a mutually beneficial deal, according to the AP.

The free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) took effect for trade between Brazil and Norway this Sunday, November 1, Valor Econômico reported. Counting farm and industrial goods, nearly 99 percent of the value of Brazilian exports to the bloc, 99.8 percent in Norway's case, will have duty-free access. From January to September 2026, trade between Brazil and Norway reached US$ 1.7 billion, with a US$ 290.6 million surplus for Brazil, according to Poder360.

Venture Global began commercial operations of the first phase of its second liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project, Plaquemines LNG, and the sale of low-cost LNG to the phase’s long-term customers on October 31, 2026, according to a company release. The Malaga Knutsen LNG tanker loaded the first commercial cargo for Shell from Plaquemines and departed at 3:26 a.m. (9:26 a.m. GMT) on Sunday, according to Reuters, in a report republished by gCaptain.

The European Union began charging a handling fee of 2 euros per type of item in parcels sent directly to consumers from outside the bloc as of Sunday, November 1, according to France 24. The fee applies regardless of the parcel’s value. It comes on top of the 3-euro duty imposed in July on small packages worth less than 150 euros, a temporary measure in place until July 1, 2028. According to France 24, online marketplaces such as Amazon, AliExpress and Temu, as well as sellers and other intermediaries, must pay the new fee. Some 93 percent of the cheap packages that arrived in Europe came from China.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the country’s central labor union representing about 3 million workers, voted on Thursday to refuse to handle weapons and military equipment destined for Israel, according to Middle East Eye. The body also demanded that the Canadian government “end all direct and indirect transfers of arms and military equipment to Israel.”

Foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) voiced “grave concerns” over the use of trade restrictions and other measures they view as economically coercive, without naming the country, and committed to providing over $85 million in technical and financial assistance to improve access to trusted artificial intelligence across the Indo-Pacific, according to Kyodo News. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group was not “an anti-China or anti-anybody coalition” and that the joint statement addressed behaviors and activities that, he said, were “coming repetitively from one country”.

Hanwha Philly Shipyard secured a US$269 million contract to build a Landing Ship Medium (LSM) for the US Navy and Marine Corps, according to gCaptain. The deal marks a milestone in the South Korean company's push into US naval shipbuilding. Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027, with the program's first vessel scheduled for delivery in 2030.

Fertilizer shipments from West Asia fell to 994,000 tons in September from 3.41 million tons in the same month a year earlier, according to a senior manager of agriculture data at Kpler, cited by Press TV. J.P. Morgan says the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has upended fertilizer supply chains during planting seasons for staple crops such as corn, soybeans, rice, wheat and vegetables. The World Trade Organization (WTO) reports that fertilizer shipments through the strait have reached a standstill.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Russia and Ukraine to stop targeting civilian ships in the Black Sea and agreed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to work on a new grain corridor through the sea, according to Al Jazeera. The two spoke at a joint news conference in Istanbul on Saturday. “It is clear that attacks against civilian vessels and actions that further escalate tensions in the Black Sea serve no one’s interests,” Erdogan said. He added that the attacks are unacceptable “regardless of who carries them out or what justification is offered.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that there is growing interest by the international community in facilitating a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea to ensure unfettered energy and grain shipments by Russia and Ukraine, according to Reuters, in a text republished by U.S. News. Turkey submitted proposals to Washington some time ago to ensure the safety of grain shipments through the Black Sea, and Rubio said the US is examining them, according to TASS: “We are examining proposals, for example, that were forwarded to us maybe some weeks ago, maybe a week ago from Turkey in that regard.”

In a statement on the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in the United States, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it delivered an assessment of destructive actions undermining international trade, including the interception of commercial fleets, sanctions, asset freezes and other unscrupulous methods, according to Sputnik. Lavrov laid out Russia’s view of the sources of global tension, “particularly in areas critical to the global economy: energy and food security, and the stable functioning of supply chains and shipping routes on an open and non-discriminatory basis.” The ministry also said Russia remains committed to being a reliable trading partner and a leading supplier of energy, food and fertilizers to a wide range of countries that need them, according to TASS.

Quad foreign ministers expressed “grave concerns” over economic coercion, including through arbitrary export restrictions and non-market policies and practices that result in overcapacity and disrupt global supply chains in critical industries, in the joint statement issued after Saturday’s meeting in Atlanta, according to Reuters. The text also emphasized the “absolute necessity to protect and preserve navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait”.

Russia extended a ban on diesel exports by domestic producers until January 31, 2027, according to a government statement posted on its website Saturday. The extension covers diesel fuel, marine fuel and gas oils exported directly by producers, and, according to the government, it aims to maintain stability in the domestic fuel market. The earlier easing came after an agreement on October 9 between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump to supply Russian diesel to international markets.

Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) reached on Friday, October 30, an exclusivity agreement with China’s Huaxin Building Materials Group to negotiate the sale of CSN Cimentos Brasil, according to Brazil Stock Guide. The proposal values the cement business at R$12.7 billion on an enterprise-value basis, marking progress on a key component of CSN’s asset-sale program to reduce its debt burden. According to the company, Huaxin submitted the most attractive proposal in the competitive sale process launched in March 2026.

China's Ministry of Commerce rejected the US Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) decision to bar device testing in China until 2028, the South China Morning Post reported. In a statement on Friday night, the ministry said the measure seriously harmed the interests of China and other trading partners, undermined the stability of China-US economic and trade relations and disrupted global industrial and supply chains. The FCC on Thursday banned all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices such as smartphones and computers destined for the US market.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Friday called for a rapid ceasefire in the Black Sea that would allow safe passage for grain shipments from both Ukraine and Russia. “I spoke in favor of doing something quickly because the people of the Global South need this grain,” he told reporters during a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies in Atlanta.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains 70 percent below pre-conflict levels, according to a weekly assessment by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The body recorded 277 vessel transits in the seven days to October 28, 155 inbound and 122 outbound. Since the conflict began on February 28, UKMTO counts 88 incidents in the strait, with at least 35 attacks on shipping in October — the worst month for attacks since the conflict started.

Hanwha Defense USA has secured a $269-million-dollar deal to construct a medium landing ship for the US Navy and Marine Corps at its Philly Shipyard, according to the Korea Herald. It is the Hanwha Group's first order to build a new US Navy vessel since it acquired Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania in 2024.

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar criticized at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta the disruptions in global oil supplies caused by sanctions and chokepoints, saying that deliberate attacks on energy trade and infrastructure were a calculated strategy to hold prices hostage. He said the world faces an energy crisis marked by unpredictability, unaffordable costs and access challenges, rather than a lack of production, according to the Hindustan Times.

At a press conference after the first day of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Russia-US diesel deal irritates US lawmakers and that Moscow is well aware of it, according to TASS. Lavrov said the sanctions imposed under former US President Joe Biden remain in place and that the current administration has added sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft.

Dockworkers in 22 countries went on strike on Friday against the war and the use of ports for arms exports, an action organizers say could disrupt more than 40% of Mediterranean cargo and over $2 billion worth of freight, according to Reuters. The strike was originally called by unions in Italy, France, Greece, Spain's Basque Country, Turkey and Morocco and now has the backing of more than 25 unions in 113 ports. Protesters at more than 100 ports in 22 countries called on dock workers to disrupt arms shipments to Israel, according to Middle East Eye.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the country “learned we are overdependent” on the US, according to DW. Carney said four decades of deeper economic integration had left Canada too reliant on the US, PBS News reported, in an article from the Associated Press.

A think tank report says BRICS+ countries should press ahead with a joint cross-border payments mechanism to reduce reliance on the US dollar, Reuters reported on Friday. The same report says a shared currency would face major economic and institutional obstacles.

The European Union (EU) and Canada have agreed to deepen their strategic partnership and announced a series of initiatives on trade, technology and security, TRT World reported. The outlet said US President Donald Trump's policies are straining Washington's relations with traditional allies. Canada will join the EU's $103 billion (€90 billion) support loan for Ukraine, initially contributing $558 million (€500 million), while the two sides expand cooperation across several strategic sectors.

Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo invited Russian companies to invest in the country’s economic development and build sustainable partnerships, speaking at the plenary session of the Russia-Africa summit, according to the Russian state agency TASS. According to 360 Mozambique, Chapo listed mechanized agriculture, industry, infrastructure, transport, logistics, energy, tourism, digital transformation and the blue economy among the priority areas for cooperation.

Serbia’s incoming leadership plans to hold talks with Russia to negotiate a long-term natural gas supply agreement. According to the Russian broadcaster RT, Russia is Serbia’s dominant natural gas supplier, accounting for up to 90% of its imports in 2025.

Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, plus 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons immediately thereafter, according to the Associated Press (AP), which reports that US sanctions will not apply until April 2027 to diesel loaded onto tankers as of Friday and that Russia confirmed its readiness to supply oil and oil products to American and global markets.

The British maritime agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received a report of a tanker on fire 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz, with the cause unknown at the time of the report — a later verified report confirmed the crew safe, with no environmental impact and the vessel proceeding to its next port, after it was approached on the port side by a small boat that attached two explosive devices to the hull above the waterline. A ship on fire was reported in the Strait, according to Arab News, citing the UKMTO, without details of the cause or any casualties.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen argued Thursday in Montreal for making Canada the bloc’s first “associate member” and building a broader alliance open to other countries, warning against economic coercion in Trump’s trade war, according to the Associated Press (AP). Trump suggested the arrangement could be a “hostile act” and threatened tariffs on Europe — von der Leyen said Canada cannot become a full member because of geography, but both sides want to bring the relationship to the highest level possible.

President Vladimir Putin will hold more than 10 bilateral meetings with the leaders of African states after the Russia-Africa summit, according to TASS. The summit brought together delegations from 48 African countries, 22 of them headed by their leaders, and Putin said Russia was “prepared to further expand the geographical reach of our agricultural product shipments”, according to Africanews.

Malaysia’s customs department seized 30 servers fitted with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips in a suspected export-control violation: the shipment, worth about 50 million ringgit (US$ 12.2 million), was intercepted in the free trade zone of the country’s main airport on Oct. 15 after being falsely declared as electrical components for re-export to another Asian country without the required permit. Malaysia introduced permit requirements for the export, transit and transshipment of AI chips of US origin under pressure from the US to keep sensitive technology from being rerouted to China through third countries.

Seven oil tankers carrying an estimated 288,000 tonnes of Russian diesel are now sailing towards the United States, the first phase of a supply deal negotiated between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin earlier this month that reverses years of sanctions on Russian oil, according to the Guardian. The newspaper reports it is still uncertain whether the vessels will be able to unload their cargo, amid a political row over the legality of the shipments. The transport is tracked by Greenpeace, which counted seven ships while previous reports had counted three. Putin agreed to supply the US with 1.8 million tonnes of diesel in a deal announced on October 9, starting with 300,000 tonnes immediately, and Trump announced a six-month waiver of existing sanctions to allow the shipments to proceed, according to the Guardian.

The United States banned all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices destined for the US market, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), just weeks before President Donald Trump is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to bar Chinese labs from testing devices such as smartphones, cameras and computers for use in the US, according to Reuters, in an article republished by KWSN. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said that in 2025, 82% of electronics were tested in China, which does not have an agreement with the US, also according to Reuters.

Alexander Novak named agriculture, transport, mineral resources mining and electric power as key areas for cooperation with African nations, according to TASS. He cited oil, gas, gold and uranium in particular and said Russian expertise could be valuable in that area: “Our expertise can be valuable here as well.”

The US economy grew at a 3.4% annual pace from July through September, accelerating from the second quarter on strong consumer spending and investment in artificial intelligence, according to a preliminary Commerce Department estimate reported by AP News. Consumer spending rose at a 3.8% clip in the quarter, and business investment was up sharply, reflecting the AI boom, AP reported.

A Reuters investigation identified more than 5,000 agencies with the MOD prefix, for the Ministry of Defense, that form a financial and military machine, in a text republished by Al Arabiya. The secret network of military agencies, with global reach, imported at least $2 billion in hardware, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, evading the US naval blockade and Western sanctions, according to the agency.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting European Union leaders in Montreal on Thursday and Friday, a two-day summit that will be closely watched for details on how Canada and the European bloc deepen their ties, according to the BBC. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed last month “opening the door” to Canada for what she called “associate membership,” a status that does not currently exist, and Germany and other nations lobbied to remove mention of the term from a draft statement, opting instead for softer language referencing an “ever closer association,” the BBC reported.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said Thursday it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its interests if the European Union insists on imposing discriminatory restrictions on Chinese products. According to the ministry, artificial barriers to normal trade may violate World Trade Organization rules and would not help improve the competitiveness of EU industries.

Canada and the EU will craft a “new chapter” in their alliance at a Montreal summit that opens Thursday, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Canada and the EU have dropped the associate membership plan in a bid to deepen ties, according to France 24.

Costa Rica’s government withdrew its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and dismissed its foreign trade minister, Indiana Trejos, President Laura Fernandez said on Wednesday, according to Reuters, in a text republished by The Straits Times. The decision to scrap the application came after protests from producer groups, especially in the agriculture sector, according to Reuters.

Trade between Russia and African nations has grown 1.5 times since 2022 and passed 27 billion dollars, Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, according to TASS. The Russia–Africa summit in Moscow gathered delegations from 48 countries, with 22 leaders attending, to discuss trade, security, arms and grain, according to France 24. Putin said Russia had supplied 13 million metric tons of agricultural products to Africa in the first nine months of the year.

The United States on Wednesday banned imports from three Chinese genomics companies over their alleged roles in enabling the forced labor of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China’s Xinjiang region, according to Reuters, in a text republished by Investing.com. BGI Genomics, MGI Tech and Shenzhen BGI Technology, which the US says is also known as the BGI Group, were added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The World Bank projects a 23 percent rise in global commodity prices by the end of 2026, with energy prices at four-year highs because of the war on Iran, according to TRT World. Food prices are expected to rise 10 percent in 2026 and another 7 percent next year, because of conflict-affected grain supply lines, the effects of an extreme El Niño phenomenon, and high fuel and fertilizer prices. Reuters reported the 23 percent projection for 2026 attributed to the Middle East war and other supply shocks.

The United States advised vessels to refrain from making non-essential transits through the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz to avoid delays, according to Sputnik. The command recommended that crews be prepared to change course or stop at the direction of US forces and to have the necessary documents ready for inspection. The document said neutral vessels, carrying neutral cargo or in ballast, between neutral ports in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz may be subject to questioning, visit, and search to confirm their intentions regarding the blockade.

Russia is discussing the creation of a port and logistics hub on Africa's east coast as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor, Ryabkov said, according to TASS. “In particular, we are discussing establishment of a Russian port transport and logistics hub on the east coast of Africa as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor,” he said.

At the plenary session of the Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, Vladimir Putin said that vile and cynical means of every kind are used, including tariff wars, illegitimate sanctions, economic diktat, blackmail and interference in internal affairs, according to Sputnik. Russia exported 13 million metric tons of agricultural products to African countries in the first nine months of this year, according to TASS, citing Putin. Sputnik also reported that Putin said Russia–Africa trade exceeded US$ 27 billion last year.

Top European finance and banking officials will travel to Beijing in the coming months to press for a revaluation of the yuan, according to the South China Morning Post. In the week of November 23, Director-General Maarten Verwey meets Chinese counterparts in Beijing for a macroeconomic dialogue. A European Central Bank spokesperson said the dialogue covers all relevant economic policies in a holistic manner, including global imbalances.

Canada hosts the EU in Montreal this week for a summit expected to announce new agreements on trade, security and technology, according to the CBC. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen surprised many last month when she announced the EU would begin the process of making Canada its first “associate member,” a status that does not exist within the bloc. EU officials say the 27 countries want the closest possible association with Canada, even as details and the exact title remain under internal debate.

British officials have begun discussions with the EU about a long-term relationship that could include a return to free movement, the business secretary said, according to the Guardian. The focus of the negotiations is the EU summit in November, to seal an agreement easing some trading restrictions and a youth mobility deal, the newspaper reported. The Independent says the UK is already holding talks about a possible return to freedom of movement.

Japan and Bangladesh agreed to expand cooperation on supply chains and energy, with projected Japanese private investment of up to one trillion yen in Bangladesh over the next five years expected to create 200,000 jobs, according to The Business Standard. The two prime ministers agreed the initiative integrates the development of power, energy, a deep-sea port, and industrial and information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, the newspaper reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said talks had slightly intensified and any progress was because the US was coming closer to the Canadian position — Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on roughly US$ 20 billion in Canadian goods after Canada rejected the terms in August, according to The Hindu.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned that a $3.4 billion European Investment Bank loan to Airbus could jeopardize a tariff truce between Washington and Brussels, according to France 24. Greer said his office had received no details about the financing, announced in June, and urged the European Union to resolve the matter quickly.

The Kadena air base in Okinawa has banned BYD vehicles, including privately owned cars, taxis and delivery vehicles, according to The Guardian. A spokesperson for US forces in Japan said the vehicles present “an unacceptable and unmitigable risk to our personnel and our mission”. In June the Pentagon added BYD to a list of 188 Chinese firms it believes have ties to the military, drawing a protest from Beijing.

Trade officials told Al Jazeera that the US-Israel war on Iran is driving up fuel and fertiliser costs across Africa and threatening the continent's food security. According to the outlet, the sharp rise in fertiliser prices has led many countries to cut back on its use, which is expected to affect next year's crops and the availability of food.

The European Union will start charging a 2 euro handling fee from Sunday on packages from outside the bloc, in a bid to curb the influx from China, according to the South China Morning Post. Some 93 per cent of the cheap packages that arrived in Europe came from China, usually through platforms such as AliExpress and Temu, the newspaper reported. Nearly six billion small packages entered the EU last year, according to official data cited by AFP, in a text republished by RFI.

The Iran war is set to make global liquefied natural gas (LNG) importers spend at least 39 billion dollars more in 2026, even as they buy 60.7 million tonnes less, as Qatari and Emirati exports are disrupted through the Strait of Hormuz, Rystad Energy estimates. Europe takes the biggest hit: its LNG bill rises at least 12 billion dollars, or 18%, even with demand falling 24 million tonnes.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz kicked off a five-day tour of Asia on Monday, travelling to Singapore before scheduled visits to Japan and South Korea, DW reported. Merz is accompanied by 30 senior businesspeople from industry, technology, defense and energy, and is expected to meet Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy and Singapore’s Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry announced their joint intent to establish a crude oil storage arrangement in Singapore, at the Jurong Rock Caverns on Jurong Island, with storage operations expected to commence in the second half of 2027; the stored crude oil will support Singapore’s energy needs in the event of a supply disruption and enhance the Saudi supply chain in Southeast Asia.

US President Donald Trump predicted at a rally in Michigan on Sunday that the trade dispute with Canada would be resolved “soon”, without providing specifics, according to Reuters.

Pakistan reopened the Gabd-Rimdan crossing in Balochistan, and trucks resumed crossing the border with Iran after a week-long halt to cargo traffic, according to the Times of India. The reopening took place on Saturday, when trucks carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and essential food supplies resumed movement, Mehr News reported, placing the start of the suspension on October 17. Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, confirmed the reopening and said trucks and other vehicles were allowed to move in both directions with import and export goods, according to Mehr News. The Times of India reported a seven-day shutdown; Mehr News places the start of the suspension on October 17.

United States (US) President Donald Trump said Washington will do business with Ukraine and with Russia after this war ends, according to TRT World.

Japanese carmakers such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan typically spend four to five years developing a new model, more than twice as long as Chinese companies, which take less than two years, according to Kyodo News. Nissan plans to shorten the lead time for developing a new sport-utility vehicle to three years and one month, for launch in North America in 2028.

Indonesia cut natural gas exports to Singapore on Saturday to prioritise domestic demand, amid a dispute between the two countries over air pollution from wildfires across the archipelago, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The cut totals 31 million standard cubic feet per day, with 15 million from Natuna and 16 million from Sumatra, according to SKK Migas chief Djoko Siswanto.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have directed their governments to expand bilateral cooperation, with the goal of raising trade between the two countries to $100 billion by 2030, according to Ambassador Vinay Kumar, quoted by The Hindu. The two countries are also working towards two-way investment of $50 billion by 2030.

Three Russian tankers carrying 40,000 tonnes of diesel are heading to the United States, the first such shipment since 2023, the Hindustan Times reported. Novak said the first three fuel tankers are already on their way to the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean, with significant support from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), according to Reuters, in a report republished by the Hindustan Times.

The US Treasury Department proposed expanding the Outbound Investment Security Program, currently limited to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, to cover North Korea, Russia, Iran and Cuba, according to the Korea Herald. Certain investments by US persons in sensitive technologies would be prohibited, while other transactions would require notification. Covered sectors include semiconductors, microelectronics, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum information technologies, high-performance computing and supercomputing.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced that Energy Secretary Chris Wright has designated helium as a critical material under the Energy Act of 2020, stating that its unique properties make it indispensable to semiconductor production, with no viable substitutes in many critical applications. According to US News, the designation means more federal financing will be available for helium producers and the government will monitor it more closely.

The Trump administration will lower its 50% tariffs on nine categories of products used by Maine’s agriculture industry, a move that helps a state lawmaker’s re-election bid, according to the SCMP. Senator Susan Collins said she secured exemptions for paper products, plastic boxes, some packing products, refrigeration and freezing equipment and seaweed and algae products for human consumption, according to Politico.

QatarEnergy signed a deal with Cheniere to buy 4 million tonnes a year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through 2054, according to The Cradle. Deliveries will be on an FOB basis and are expected to start in 2031, running through 2054, according to The Peninsula Qatar.

Siluanov said 99.1% of settlements in Russia-China trade are carried out in rubles and yuan, in remarks to the Rossiya-1 television channel, according to Anadolu. Speaking at the opening of the 11th Russia-China Financial Dialogue in Beijing, he said Moscow and Beijing must “maintain the stability of bilateral financial infrastructure.”

A tanker carrying 40,000 metric tons of Russian diesel is heading towards New York following an agreement with US President Donald Trump, Reuters says. Russia agreed to lift its self-imposed ban on diesel exports and supply the fuel to global markets, including the US, after the agreement reached between President Vladimir Putin and Trump, also according to Reuters.

Canada and Türkiye upgraded relations to a strategic partnership during the first bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister, according to The Jerusalem Post, with Mark Carney seeking new trade partners to reduce reliance on the US. The two sides expect to raise bilateral trade from 3 billion dollars first to 5 billion and then to 10 billion. Carney and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched the first round of negotiations for a free trade agreement and signed the expanded air transport agreement between the two countries, according to the Canadian prime minister’s office.

Shell, PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi and KOGAS approved last month the final investment decision for the LNG Canada Phase 2 expansion, doubling capacity to 28 million tons per annum, according to OilPrice. With Cedar LNG and Woodfibre under construction, Canada is expected to export 33 mtpa of LNG by the end of the decade, also according to OilPrice.

The EU is considering lifting sanctions on Yusha Group, a Chinese fabric-maker accused of aiding Russia, according to the South China Morning Post. The group was blacklisted by the European Union in February 2025, three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Iran’s first vice president said trade with Tajikistan is up 50% since the start of the conflict with the United States, but Tajik figures show a rise of about 15%, to $254 million in the first half of 2026, according to OilPrice. Iran’s transport minister pitched Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on a north-south route centred on Chabahar to India, winning a Kazakh commitment to work on a transport agreement.

Vietnam’s Communist Party chief and president, To Lam, arrived in Brussels on Wednesday for an official visit to the European Union (EU) and Belgium, another sign that relations continue to expand, according to DW. Trade in goods between Vietnam and the EU reached €76 billion in 2025.

India’s crude imports from the Middle East jumped 32% in September to about 2.8 million barrels per day, the highest since February, as more barrels exit Hormuz, according to OilPrice. Ship tracking data showed that India’s Middle Eastern crude imports returned to pre-war levels in September, while its refiners cut purchases of Russian oil amid stiff competition with China, Reuters reported.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast on Thursday a 1.3% contraction in output for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan in 2026, as a result of the war against Iran's impact on energy production, shipping, tourism, trade and confidence, according to Reuters, in a text republished by Yahoo Finance. For 2027, the IMF projected 6.6% growth, but output in those economies would generally stay below pre-war projections. The fund said the outlook remains clouded by “exceptionally high uncertainty”.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford jointly announced on Wednesday an 8.7-billion Canadian dollar strategic industry support package — about 6.18 billion US dollars — designed to shield workers and businesses from ongoing US tariffs and drive long-term growth, CGTN reported. The federal-provincial plan focuses on Ontario’s steel, automotive and critical minerals sectors. The new strategy builds on federal assistance programs that have already funneled more than 25 billion Canadian dollars to workers and businesses navigating US tariffs.

S&P Global warned that the energy shock around the Strait of Hormuz could turn into a global food crisis, with pricier diesel and fertilizer, strong biofuel demand and El Niño pressing on world agriculture, OilPrice reported. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects fertilizer prices up 10 percent by the end of 2026, adding 5 percent to food costs this year and another 2.4 percent in 2027. According to OilPrice, even if the strait stays open, Gulf gas output would need months or years to recover, leaving the poorest countries, where food takes about half of household spending, most exposed.

The Russian-Slovak inter-governmental commission for economic, science and technical cooperation will hold a session in Moscow on October 26, the Slovak Foreign Ministry said late on Tuesday, according to Reuters. The restart of consultations follows repeated trips to Moscow by Prime Minister Robert Fico, including in May this year.

Uzbekistan announced investment deals across a variety of economic sectors potentially worth $12 billion during the Samarkand events. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took part in a business forum in the Uzbek city on October 19 and, the same day, met with the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian states in the C5+1 format, OilPrice reported.

India’s largest state-owned refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), will slightly reduce the volumes of Middle East crude it will buy under annual term deals for fiscal year 2027/2028, which starts next March, amid uncertainty of supply from the region, according to OilPrice, which cites an anonymous source who spoke to Reuters. India paid $15.4 billion to import crude oil in September, up 46% from $10.5 billion a year earlier, as international prices and the Indian import basket soared amid reignited tensions in the Middle East, according to OilPrice.

Japan booked a trade deficit of $17.8 billion (2.82 trillion yen) from April to September, almost double the figure a year earlier, as the Middle East crisis made energy imports far more expensive for a resource-poor G7 economy, according to government data released on Wednesday. The volume of petroleum imports fell 21.2 percent while the value surged 26.3 percent; the volume of petroleum products dropped 26.8 percent and the value rose 23.2 percent.

Iraq has closed the Al Sheeb border crossing with Iran to travelers and goods, according to a government official cited by The National. The closure took effect at 6am local time on Wednesday and will remain in place until further notice. Two sources at the crossing told Reuters that the measure also affects vehicles and commercial trucks, the Jerusalem Post reported.

US President Donald Trump said in Washington that the US and India are “pretty close” to making a trade deal that will be “much different” from the earlier pacts, according to The Hindu. The remarks came while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visiting India and discussed trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people ties.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said only a small number of items remain to close the bilateral trade agreement between India and the US, according to The Hindu, and expressed hope it will be sealed shortly. Rubio urged India to scale up energy trade with the US and increase purchases of American technologies and systems, according to the paper. Both sides welcomed progress in the negotiations and reaffirmed their commitment to working toward an early conclusion, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) cited in the report.

The United States sanctioned five China-based entities linked to a Chinese national convicted of stealing artificial intelligence technology from Google, UPI reported. The State Department announced the sanctions on Monday under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act of 2022, which freezes assets and restricts loans from US financial institutions to the named entities. China voiced “firm opposition” to the sanctions on the five entities over alleged AI trade secret theft, DevDiscourse reported.

Record-high freight costs are changing the behavior of Asian buyers, who are increasingly using smaller tankers and ships under long-term charter deals to pick up crude oil, according to OilPrice. The Iran war reshuffled trade routes and patterns and tied up more supertankers in inefficient, lengthy voyages and on a shuttle service to move crude through the Strait of Hormuz.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Mumbai that the trade deal with India is “very, very close” to being executed and that a small number of items remain to wrap up, he told reporters on Tuesday. Rubio held talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in the city to deepen energy cooperation and move closer to finalizing the agreement. Washington imposed tariffs of up to 50% on most Indian goods in August 2025 and, under a framework agreed in February 2026, the rate was reduced to 18%, but negotiations have stalled since. Rubio said the US will discuss refining Venezuelan crude with Reliance and that India made “substantial progress” in diversifying its energy supplies, according to The Hindu.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Tuesday on his second official visit to the country this year, an Asian tour blending diplomacy and trade, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. Speaking in Samarkand, Rubio said Washington and New Delhi were “very close” to an agreement, but a deal during his visit appears unlikely, the agency reported.

Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices topped $30 per million British thermal units for the first time since December 2022, according to OilPrice, citing Bloomberg — the jump follows a report of a strike on an LNG tanker in the Gulf of Aden, off the Yemeni coast, and European storage is 74% full this week, against a five-year seasonal average of around 89%, according to the same outlet.

Chinese carmakers are gearing up European production to sidestep tariffs and an import quota, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) — the EU will cap imports of Chinese hybrids at 350,000 a year from as early as 1 December, less than half the 800,000 expected in 2026, with vehicles assembled inside the EU exempt, according to Automotive World.

China's imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) rose 44.3% year over year in January-September, reaching 7.19 million metric tons, according to TASS, citing data from China's General Administration of Customs. In September, China doubled its LNG imports from Russia compared with August to 1.85 million metric tons, and the value rose 2.2-fold to $1.18 billion.

Before the war with Iran, 24 percent of the world’s sulfur supply passed through the Strait of Hormuz, and the author of the OilPrice piece says he can find no reliable information on whether the material is still being shipped, suspecting the volume is near zero. Sulfur from the Middle East went from about $500 a tonne at the start of the conflict to more than $800, and some customers paid more than $1,000 for Canadian sulfur in June, according to OilPrice.

In Samarkand, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington wants to be “a strong partner” in Central Asia, leading a delegation of almost 300 American businesses, and the State Department announced more than 50 contracts with Uzbekistan worth a combined $12 billion, according to AFP. The deals cover technology, industrial modernization, transport and energy. Tajikistan and the United States discussed regional security and stability in Central Asia, according to Tajik state media.

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.5% year on year in the third quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported, better than economists had expected and up from 4.3% in the second quarter, according to The Guardian. According to analysts at ABN Amro cited by the newspaper, the pickup mainly reflects export strength on the global AI and tech boom, more than offsetting drags from the Iran conflict and ongoing weakness in domestic demand.

China announced export controls on tunnel-boring machines and related items, plus an adjustment of export-control measures for certain dredgers, The Hindu reported. India depends on imports of those machines, and difficulties importing them from China started in 2024.

The Kilwa Masoko fishing port passed its completion inspection and is described as Tanzania’s first large-scale modern fishing harbour, according to China’s ambassador to the country, Chen Mingjian. Designed to land 60,000 tonnes of fish a year, the port is expected to create about 30,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to Tanzanian Labour Minister Deus Sangu.

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.5% year on year in the third quarter, according to official data. The world’s second largest economy rose from 4.3% in the previous quarter but stayed below the 5% recorded from January to March, the BBC reported, citing official Chinese data.

Metinvest chief executive Yuriy Ryzhenkov told the BBC the recently imposed tariffs on steel imports into the EU were “unfair” and had been put in place “without any consideration for the situation Ukraine is in”. The EU capped the amount of steel that can enter tax free at 18.3 million tonnes per year — a 47% reduction from 2024 levels.

Roughly 1,500 shops and retailers were damaged during the protests that swept France over the weekend, many of them looted, according to the head of the Retail and Trade Federation, cited by France 24.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident 140 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukalla, Yemen, according to TASS. A master of an LNG tanker reported being approached by a small skiff with seven people on board; the skiff fired two shots at the tanker, whose armed security team fired two warning shots, forcing it to alter course.

China cut its holdings of United States Treasury securities by US$ 27.3 billion in August, bringing the stock of those assets to its lowest level since 2008. The Chinese portfolio fell from US$ 618 billion to US$ 590.7 billion in August, the lowest in 18 years, according to the survey cited by Brasil 247.

The tanker Unity, arrested by India in May with Russian sailors on board, is to be sold, according to a relative of one of the crew members heard by TASS. The sailors cannot leave the ship until they are replaced by another crew, the relative said. India arrested the Unity on May 11 as part of financial claims against the shipowner, and the vessel, flying a Cameroon flag, is anchored near the port of Paradip, with the case being heard in the High Court in the state of Odisha.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the European Union (EU) will develop a new tool to swiftly block access to the bloc’s market in the event of a trade war, according to TRT World. “We will develop a new instrument for decisive action by limiting access to the single market where this is in the union’s interests fast and immediately,” she told reporters after EU leaders met in Brussels. Von der Leyen said the EU’s trade deficit with China reached 1 billion euros per day in 2025 and warned that the imbalance was expected to worsen in 2026.

China said it was ready to work with India to address each other’s economic and trade concerns, after Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised Beijing’s restrictions on market access, according to The Hindu. She pointed to non-tariff barriers as the biggest hurdle in trade between the two countries, and India’s trade deficit with China widened to 105.93 billion, a 20.7% increase from a year earlier.

Iran plans to invite Gazprom to develop gas fields in the country, Deputy Oil Minister Saeed Tavakoli said at Russian Energy Week, according to TASS. Tavakoli said Tehran and Moscow have no specific program for joint gas production and that Iran will use Gazprom’s potential under contracts currently under discussion.

The squeeze in ship fuel persists despite accelerating crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz, according to TASS, which cites trading house Vitol. According to Bloomberg, a top Vitol executive said that accelerating crude exports through Hormuz are not translating into higher output of the shipping fuel, with tight supply and soaring prices.

Latvia ordered 84 combat vehicles from Spain’s GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas for about €800 million, with all of them due to be delivered by 2029, according to Middle East Eye. The Mednieks infantry fighting vehicles carry UT30 MK2 unmanned turrets produced by Israel’s Elbit Systems, despite the arms embargo Spain declared on Israel last year.

China proposed restricting exports of 40 key technologies in artificial intelligence, biomedicine and solar power, 14 of them with a complete export ban and 26 more with restrictions, according to The Hindu. Those facing a total ban include perovskite and tandem solar-cell module manufacturing, artificial intelligence tools that can generate and mutate malicious code, and platforms related to cell and gene therapy.

According to Sputnik, the EU increased imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 60% in September from August, citing a report by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) obtained by the outlet, worth €615 million. Almost three-quarters of the physical volume, or 72%, went to French ports; the remaining shipments went to the Netherlands and Portugal.

Nickolay Mladenov, director-general of the Peace Council, said on Thursday that he had received a letter from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) informing him of the suspension of coordination for private-sector goods entering Gaza. Mladenov called the suspension unacceptable and said that “civilian supplies, humanitarian assistance and commercial activity must be protected from coercion, exploitation and interference”. Gazan merchants told COGAT that they had made the decision in response to a 10,000 shekel ($3,220) fee imposed by Hamas on each truck entering Gaza and a demand that 30% of all their sales in Gaza be carried out in cash, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Disruption to fuel and fertiliser shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is beginning to affect agricultural harvests, the head of a United Nations rural development agency warned on Thursday, according to Middle East Eye. The president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Alvaro Lario, told Reuters that the pass-through from the initial locking down of the Strait of Hormuz “is now starting to be seen”. Disruptions to fertiliser shipments and higher fuel and transport costs, compounded by El Niño and disruptions to Black Sea wheat supplies, threaten to lower farm yields.

Iran’s Army Deputy Coordinator Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the Strait of Hormuz is closed, that any passage through it must be coordinated, and cited high gasoline prices in the US as proof of the closure, according to Mehr News.

The New Yalu River Bridge, linking Liaoning in China to North Pyongan in North Korea, was inaugurated on Thursday (10/15), with four lanes in both directions and a total length of 3,026 meters, connecting the cities of Dandong and Sinuiju, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning saying the opening will expand economic exchanges and the flow of citizens between the two countries, according to Opera Mundi.

A senior UN official warned that a failure by the US and Iran to quickly approve a UN plan for shipping fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz could plunge parts of Asia and Africa into a food security crisis, according to Reuters, in a text published by The Cradle. “It’s absolutely crucial to get the deal in the next few weeks. Otherwise, we will miss the planting season,” UN Under-Secretary-General Jorge Moreira da Silva told Reuters in Bangkok. According to the UN analysis he cited, daily traffic through the strait has collapsed from around 130 ships before the war to just five last week, and fertilizer prices have jumped 25 to 30 percent since late February.

ASML's sales to China surged 109 per cent in the third quarter compared with the previous three months, according to financial results released on Wednesday. The Dutch semiconductor equipment maker expects China to account for about 20 per cent of its total sales this year, after shipments to the market more than doubled in the previous quarter despite US pressure for tighter export restrictions on less advanced chipmaking machinery.

Russia's special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, said he expects the first diesel contracts with the US to be signed in the coming days, according to Sputnik. The deal between the two countries, announced after a phone call between the two presidents on October 9, suspends US sanctions on Russian diesel until April 2027.

The container ship GFS Pride sank near the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile, according to maritime security sources cited by the Jerusalem Post. A navigational warning from the Hydrographer of Pakistan, dated October 14, reported the sinking of the GFS Pride with floating containers and cautioned mariners. A second vessel, the bulk carrier Cape Dao, flagged in Antigua and Barbuda and hit on September 23, is reported to be sinking after an unsuccessful rescue attempt, according to Vanguard.

China’s exports surged 36.3% in September from a year earlier, its customs agency said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press (AP), in a text published by ABC News. The trade surplus reached $133.5 billion for the month, up from $119.1 billion in August.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and Canada together contribute to a “more stable and prosperous world”, after a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to conclude negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) at the “earliest opportunity” and to double two-way trade, at about $23 billion in 2025, by 2030.

US President Donald Trump said at a rally on Tuesday that Taiwan has agreed to buy 30% of the liquefied natural gas from a pipeline project in Alaska, but the deal terms were not immediately clear, according to Reuters. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), in a text published by The Hindu, Trump also said that Taiwan would invest $4.4 billion into the project, as Taipei seeks Washington’s favor amid tensions with China.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) projected global oil demand growth of 2.6 million barrels per day in 2027, after growth of just 200,000 barrels per day in 2026, pushing average demand from 105.7 million to 108.3 million barrels per day, with part of the jump coming from rebuilding stocks drawn down during the Iran war – commercial stocks in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stood 177.2 million barrels below their 2015-2019 average in August, according to OilPrice.com.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Kiev regime, under the formal pretext of concern for global food security, wants a protected maritime channel to send weapons to Ukraine’s armed forces and to create yet another mechanism of political and economic pressure on Russia, according to TASS. Zakharova also said the Black Sea artery supplying Volodymyr Zelensky’s government is “very important for its sponsors”.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China stands ready to work with Russia to align maritime strategies and protect each other's legitimate maritime interests, according to the South China Morning Post, in a pledge to deepen maritime and Arctic logistics cooperation.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said that control over the Strait of Hormuz represents enormous national wealth and that its real value lies in the ability to ensure security, according to Mehr News.

The Maltese-flagged merchant vessel Chelsea 3 was attacked by three unidentified drones roughly 14 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coast, in the exclusive economic zone, with two sailors injured, according to TASS, which cites the maritime.bg site. The crew sent a distress signal on Monday night and was evacuated to Varna, with the vessel kept afloat, according to TASS, which cites the maritime.bg site.

Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace, another 500,000 tons in November and 1,000,000 tons immediately thereafter, according to The Hindu. A bipartisan group of six senators urged Trump to reverse course, saying the United States “should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline”, according to The Hindu, which cites the Associated Press (AP), while Representative Lloyd Doggett, the bill's chief sponsor, said Trump is directly violating the law.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia could reach 3.5 million tonnes per month of diesel to global markets by the end of the year, just as was the case before the crisis, and that additional Russian deliveries have already pushed global diesel prices down by about 5-6%, according to TASS.

French supermarket chains, including Intermarché and Coopérative U, were hit on Monday (12) by a cyberattack against the refrigeration control systems of the Danish manufacturer Danfoss. According to BFMTV, the attackers reportedly hijacked that function overnight, imposing a forced and continuous defrost with the temperature set at 50 degrees. AFP reported that French supermarket chains say the cyberattack forced the shutdown of refrigerators.

Russian presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev said in Beijing that expanding natural resource extraction requires Russia and China to jointly safeguard maritime shipping, according to TASS. Patrushev said the two countries can reshape the global geo-economic map and better protect maritime trade against external risks, including military escalation, piracy and sanctions. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that strategic mutual trust between the two countries has become even stronger, cooperation in all areas is more stable and multilateral cooperation is closer.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said it had struck a supertanker trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and that the vessel caught fire. The statement was published on the force’s news platform, Sepah News. According to the Guards, the ship tried to cross the area by disabling its transponders and ignoring warnings from the Guards’ navy. Al Jazeera, citing reports, said an oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz region. Brent futures for December rose above $107 a barrel on the ICE, the first time since September 29, according to trade data cited by TASS.

Sixty countries supported a declaration on Monday (12) committing to work to preserve freedom of navigation and opposing the introduction of tolls in straits used for international navigation, according to G1. The document was signed by EU members, Australia, Japan and the UK, among others. Since the start of the war between the United States and Iran, the charging of fees for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has been speculated about.

The EU will limit the number of hybrid vehicles imported from China to 350,000 a year, the European Commission has confirmed. Brussels used World Trade Organization (WTO) rules to impose the 350,000 vehicle-a-year quota quickly, which will halve Chinese market share to 3%. The safeguard measure is expected to take effect as soon as December, according to Bloomberg.

China and the European Union (EU) held intensive consultations on trade in hybrid and electric vehicles, addressing trade and economic differences in a balanced way, guided by mutual respect and consultations on an equal footing, according to China’s Commerce Ministry cited by Sputnik. The two sides are continuing dialogue through the trade and investment consultation mechanism and reached agreements aimed at maintaining stable and balanced relations, according to the same source.

Syria’s central bank said on Sunday that it issued its first letter of credit in 14 years to facilitate a petroleum products supply deal between the Syrian Petroleum Company and Saudi Aramco, according to the Jerusalem Post. The bank said the transaction was arranged in coordination with a major US bank, which it did not name, opening a channel to finance oil imports and settle payments through the formal banking system.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday that it reclassified an incident in the vicinity of Sohar anchorage in Oman as an attack after confirming that the tanker was struck by a drone, according to the Jerusalem Post, in a Reuters report. Indian minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that nine Indian crew members have been rescued and are safe and that two Indian nationals remain missing, with search-and-rescue operations underway by the local Coast Guard.

A US fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged cargo vessel M/V Ocean Molica, also known as Arika Sun, with a precision munition in the Gulf of Oman, fully disabling the ship’s propulsion without harming the crew, according to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), cited by Middle East Eye. According to CENTCOM, the ship was attempting to run the naval blockade against Iran after departing an Iranian port and ignored repeated warnings. During three months of strict enforcement, US forces disabled four commercial vessels, turned around 135 and destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Revolutionary Guard’s shadow network.

Member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) expressed support for accelerating the oil stock releases announced in the March 2026 Collective Action, aiming to complete them as soon as possible, the agency said. About 325 million barrels of oil have been released under the March 2026 Collective Action, according to the IEA, which notes that some countries released greater volumes than they initially pledged.

Freight rates for supertankers topped $1.4 million per day on the Gulf-to-East Asia route, a 40% jump in the first week of October alone, according to data compiled by Bloomberg and cited by OilPrice. Ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman tie up the tankers for weeks waiting outside the Strait of Hormuz, tightening the supply of Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) vessels and also pressuring Suezmax and Aframax ships, according to OilPrice.

Vladimir Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said energy and economic cooperation between Russia and the United States (US) will continue and benefit global markets, in a post on X on Friday, according to TASS. The remark responds to Donald Trump’s announcement that he coordinated with Putin, in a phone call he called “highly successful”, the supply of up to 4.8 million tonnes of Russian diesel to the world market, including the US.

The Port of Los Angeles, the largest container port in the United States and the country's leading gateway for imports from China and other Asian countries, had its busiest quarter on record from July through September, according to the South China Morning Post. According to port director Gene Seroka, the period totaled almost 3 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), and, including June, almost 4 million container units were moved, the strongest four-month stretch ever recorded.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with his Turkmen counterpart Serdar Berdimuhamedov on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit, according to Mehr News. The two sides discussed ways to develop political, economic and trade ties and stressed the need to accelerate agreed projects. They also discussed regional cooperation and Caspian Sea-related issues, emphasizing stronger cooperation among Caspian littoral states and protection of the sea's environment.

China and the EU reached an “understanding” on hybrid vehicles on Friday, October 9, according to Le Monde, as their commerce chiefs concluded talks with an agreement to strengthen dialogue, dispelling fears of a full-blown trade war. Trade chiefs Maros Sefcovic and Wang Wentao agreed that both sides would adhere to “procedures concerning company price undertakings” for hybrid cars, according to China’s Commerce Ministry, citing a joint statement.

The European Union (EU) will support 46 new strategic projects to accelerate supplies of critical raw materials by 2030, including lithium, gallium and rare earths for the auto, defence and renewable energy industries, with a funding cost of €21bn, according to The Guardian. The stated goal is to reduce dependence on China, which controls much of these essential raw materials, and six of the new projects are in France, across 16 countries, with eight for mining, 11 for refining and 19 for recycling, according to Le Monde.

With the US-Asia arbitrage closed for the time being, Asian refiners are ditching US oil and considering buying more of the United Arab Emirates’ Murban grade, according to OilPrice. The interest hiked the premium of Murban crude over the Dubai quotes to more than $11 per barrel on Thursday.

The United Kingdom has chosen Audere Group as its partner to set up a dedicated business centre in Kyiv, giving British businesses a permanent base, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. The centre will give direct access to battlefield data and targets defence industrial partnerships, under the 100-Year Partnership. It builds on more than 40 major UK-Ukraine industrial partnerships already established.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that trade between Russia and the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) exceeded 110 billion dollars in 2025 and grew 19% in the first half, according to Sputnik. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Russian and Azerbaijani counterparts in Turkmenistan on the sidelines of a CIS meeting, according to Mehr News.

India's continued purchases of Russian oil could pose a fresh hurdle in talks for an interim trade deal with the US, according to Bloomberg, in a text published by Mint. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday that a deal with India was not on the cards soon, citing Russian oil as a point of friction, according to CNBC. In September, India's imports of Russian crude declined to around 1.75 million barrels per day, the lowest level since April, according to PTI, in a text published by Mint.

US President Donald Trump urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to repair ties with Japan and lift Beijing’s export curbs on Tokyo during their September talks in Washington, according to Kyodo News, citing the South China Morning Post. Trump said China’s export restrictions on Japan-bound items, including rare earths, pose a “threat to American industries reliant on Japanese suppliers,” and described the move as “an indirect violation of the US-China trade truce” reached in South Korea in October last year. Xi was “not particularly receptive,” saying Beijing’s dispute with Tokyo should be kept separate from the relationship with Washington, and warned of “the growing risks of Japanese militarism.”

In Beijing, EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Thursday that the bloc’s trade deficit with China was “unsustainable,” as he opened two days of talks to avert a trade war. Sefcovic wrote on X that the goal of day one was to begin rebalancing the bloc’s unsustainable trade deficit. According to European figures, last year China exported to the EU around €1 billion a day more in goods and services than went the other way.

The US State Department notified Congress last week that it approved the sale of more than $2bn in US weapons systems to Egypt, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, according to Middle East Eye. Egypt will buy more than 2,000 FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles and up to 200 launchers, for about $832m. The priciest purchase in the package is the UAE’s, for up to 10,000 APKWS-II laser-guided kits, at about $1.04bn; Kuwait will buy services and parts for Patriot batteries for $400m.

European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic has arrived in Beijing for talks on the European Union’s (EU) growing trade deficit with China. He will meet Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Thursday and Friday after months of discussions over a deficit of more than €1bn a day and Chinese restrictions on rare earths, according to Al Jazeera. Sefcovic travels to Beijing on October 8 for what he called “a super crucial meeting” with Wang Wentao, seeking results to present to EU leaders on October 15 and 16, according to Politico.

The US State Department approved the sale of more than $2bn in weapons systems to Egypt, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), notifying Congress last week, according to Middle East Eye. The priciest purchase among the tranche was for the UAE: up to 10,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System-II (APKWS-II) kits, which turn unguided rockets into precision munitions, for about $1.04bn. Egypt was cleared to buy more than 2,000 FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles and up to 200 Javelin launch units, for about $832m.

EU trade negotiators are heading to China for two days of crunch talks starting Thursday, aimed at a breakthrough deal tackling China’s record £1bn-a-day trade surplus and at sealing a pilot deal on cars, according to The Guardian. Last month, the EU asked China to voluntarily restrict hybrid exports, warning that safeguards — which could include quotas — could be enacted, according to the newspaper. On Monday, Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, agreed to a “historic U-turn” on its policy on China by siding with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to The Guardian.

The US goods and services deficit was $105.6 billion in August 2026, compared with $92.8 billion in July, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the Census Bureau. The August deficit with Mexico, at $27 billion, was the highest on record.

Vitol’s chief executive said around 14 million barrels per day are leaving the Middle East — 12 million barrels per day of crude and 2 million of products —, according to Reuters. Executives say the world has nearly burned through its oil stockpile buffer, according to Reuters.

A Kpler analyst suspects there is a toll being paid to Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera. Provisional data from the consultancy show crude exports from the region exceeded pre-war levels on four days in the final week of September, reaching between 19.5 and 22.5 million barrels per day. Abdul Khalique, head of the Liverpool John Moores University Maritime Centre, told Al Jazeera that no public proof confirms a systematic, state-run Iranian toll system.

Crude exports from the Middle East exceeded pre-war levels on September 24 and between September 27 and 29, rising to between 19.5 million barrels per day and 22.5 million bpd, according to Reuters, in text republished by The Hindu; the 7-day moving average stood at 18.5 million bpd on October 1, with at least seven incidents reported, according to a Marisks report on Saturday, October 3.

Britain is considering imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports, amid concerns that Beijing is flooding the market with state-subsidised cars, according to Reuters. British ministers are ready to match the European Union's 45 per cent levy on Chinese electric cars, the Times reported. A British government spokesperson told Reuters no tariffs have been imposed on Chinese EVs.

Iran and Turkey are seeking to raise bilateral trade to $30 billion, with the development of the Bazargan border, the opening of a fourth crossing, expanded rail and road transport and the creation of a joint Khoy–Van–Mersin free zone, according to the Tehran Times. The Iranian outlet said trade between the two countries in the year 1404 was about $19.2 billion, including $6.8 billion in Iranian exports and $12.4 billion in imports.

A military expert cited by the Russian state news agency TASS, Andrey Marochko, said Ukraine has lost more than 80% of exports shipped through the port of Odessa after Russian strikes on the port of Izmail. According to him, container ships can no longer sail without fear of repercussions, making it impossible to deliver supplies on the scale previously provided by the West.

The Iraq Oil Tankers Company transported two million barrels of Iraqi crude aboard a very large crude carrier (VLCC) through the Strait of Hormuz, its director general said in a statement, describing it as the company’s first such operation in decades, according to Middle East Eye.

China's Commerce Ministry launched an anti-dumping investigation on Saturday into imports of p-nitrotoluene from the EU, according to The Hindu. The investigation follows a request from China's domestic industry, which says low-priced European p-nitrotoluene is flooding the Chinese market. The move comes less than a week before the bloc's trade chief is due in Beijing for talks, the paper reported.

The US Department of Justice accused the chief executive of Earthmade Computer, 38-year-old Greg Lui, of using false paperwork to mask shipments of servers worth more than $300 million that he knew were destined for China, and of conspiring with freight-forwarding firms in countries such as Malaysia and Singapore to divert chip shipments into China, including Nvidia's A100 and H100 graphics processors, according to Ars Technica. He faces charges of conspiracy to violate US export controls, outbound smuggling and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to Bloomberg, in a text republished by Yahoo.

US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that South Korea would invest up to $200 billion in energy projects across the US, including a liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline in Alaska, according to The Hill. According to Yonhap Infomax, he said that if Seoul does not want to take part, he will charge more: “If they don’t want to do it, that’s fine with me. I’ll just charge them more.” And he sent word: “Tell them that if they don’t sign soon, I will double it.” Asked about a premature announcement, Trump said he was not premature because South Korean representatives were present.

US President Donald Trump said the country will not ban diesel exports: “And we’re not going to be doing the export ban.” The statement came after the Group of Seven (G7) agreed to release up to 100 million barrels of oil and diesel within four months, according to the BBC.

US President Donald Trump announced an $8.4bn oil recovery project under the deal with South Korea, according to Middle East Eye. He provided no location or explanation of how the project would operate, according to Middle East Eye. The deal committed South Korea to investing $350 billion in the United States in return for lower US tariffs, according to Yonhap.

France approved 35 new sales of military equipment to Israel between May and September 2026, according to research by the rights groups Palestinian Youth Movement and Urgence Palestine. The items include cooling systems for tanks and missile launchers, helmet visors for helicopter and fighter-jet pilots, connectors and electronic equipment, as well as surveillance systems, all destined for Elbit Systems subsidiaries, according to the report seen by Middle East Eye.

Chinese refiners suspended oil product exports planned for October, four people briefed on the matter told Reuters, to preserve domestic stocks. China canceled some October exports, including diesel and gasoline, to ensure domestic demand, according to Sputnik Globe, citing Bloomberg.

Group of 20 (G20) trade ministers failed to agree on excess industrial capacity and eliminating forced labour from supply chains, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Thursday. The meeting took place in Milwaukee, with the US holding the group’s rotating presidency this year. Greer said there are US investigations into 16 economies on overcapacity, targeting China, the EU, Japan, India and others.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X that Iran loaded no crude oil onto tankers in September, according to Middle East Eye. The United States has blockaded Iranian ports since April to try to thwart Iranian exports, the most profitable of which is oil. Tanker-tracking data shows Iran loaded no new crude oil in September, according to Times Now.

The Government of Canada officially listed the new West Coast oil pipeline, now known as Pacific Link, as a project of national interest, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced. According to the government, the project will allow Canada to export an additional one million barrels a day to growing markets in Asia, reducing its dependence on the United States. Al Jazeera described Pacific Link as the pipeline Canada intends to fast track to diversify its economy away from the US.

The Trump administration told Germany and France to draw down emergency diesel inventories or face a potential US ban on exports of the fuel, according to Reuters, citing three people close to the discussions. The threat to ban diesel exports set off global alarms over prices and supply, according to The New York Times.

The US Commerce Department has slowed licensing for airplane parts to China and considered new limits on COMAC shipments, using aerospace supply chains to gain leverage in trade talks, according to Reuters. The effort to slow vital goods is part of Washington’s push to loosen Beijing’s grip on rare earth minerals needed by a wide range of US industries, including vehicle manufacturing, chipmaking and aerospace.

The Trump administration has told Germany and France to draw down emergency diesel inventories to help ease global fuel prices or face a potential US diesel export ban, according to Reuters. The request was reported by three people close to the discussions.

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, spoke by phone on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump in their first conversation since US legislation allowing tariffs of up to 100 per cent, and said they reviewed cooperation on trade, defense, energy and critical technologies, according to The Tribune.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer presented the four workstreams the US presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) has focused on over the course of the year: the weaponization of food, structural excess capacity and production, the Most-Favored-Nation principle, and forced labor in global supply chains. Greer called for the major G20 economies to refrain from coercive actions on food trade, tackle industrial overcapacity and re-examine the prevailing post-World War Two tariff system, according to Reuters.

Brazil and the United States agreed to form a working group to discuss US tariffs on Brazilian goods and other bilateral trade issues, Brazil's Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services said. The agreement followed talks between Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Development, Industry, Trade and Services Minister Marcio Elias Rosa with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Milwaukee, on the sidelines of a meeting of trade ministers from the Group of 20. Washington announced a 25% Section 301 tariff on certain Brazilian goods on July 15, followed by a measure on July 23 that imposed an additional 12.5% tariff on certain Brazilian imports.

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, September 30, $200 billion in South Korean energy investments in the United States, including $54 billion toward a long-discussed liquefied natural gas project in Alaska, according to Le Monde, in a report with Agence France-Presse (AFP). The package includes eight new nuclear plants and a large natural gas-fired plant in Texas supported by the South Korean government, the newspaper said. The investments follow a July 2025 trade deal under which Seoul had agreed to invest $350 billion in the United States and boost its purchases of American energy; the deal set 15 percent tariffs on South Korean goods.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the United Kingdom could eventually rejoin the European Union, as his government considers options for reshaping relations with the bloc a decade after the Brexit referendum, according to RT. In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, he said Brexit had done “more harm than good” and that the current arrangement was holding back economic growth.

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar warned of a “major food crisis” in the coming months, on top of the fertiliser shortages the world is already seeing because of the Ukraine and Iran conflicts, according to The Hindu. He said some of the major grain exporters will not be able to send out their shipments, particularly via the Black Sea. He spoke on September 28, in a conversation at the Asia Society in New York.

The Pentagon chose Boeing to build the Navy's next-generation fighter jets in a contract valued at $20 billion, announced by US officials on Tuesday, September 29, according to Le Monde. The Next Generation Air Dominance Program calls for F/A-XX aircraft to replace the legacy Super Hornets fleet beginning in the 2030s, a Pentagon statement said. Boeing was competing for the contract with Northrop Grumman.

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in New York that cross-border terrorism from the neighboring country is one of Indiaʼs primary concerns and that partnersʼ failure to appreciate this affects bilateral ties, according to The Hindu. He spoke at an Asia Society conversation at the end of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on September 28, and said there is a broad understanding on a trade agreement with the US, but changes in American tariff policy complicate when to conclude it.

According to an investigation by The New York Times, Venezuelan gold that Donald Trump’s administration brought to the US is sitting in warehouses because no refiner will process it. In early March, the president looked approvingly at the 10 Venezuelan gold bars stacked in the Roosevelt Room, across from the Oval Office, White House officials recalled. On the same day the bars arrived, the administration issued a policy allowing the import of Venezuelan gold, with the first supplies coming from a state-owned mining company that the US still designated as a national security threat. All that gold — hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth — sits untouched in warehouses, according to three people with knowledge of the shipments.

QatarEnergy extended force majeure notices and will not be able to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to Italian utility Edison or some Asian clients while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, according to Reuters. Edison said QatarEnergy would cancel a further six cargoes, taking the total undelivered shipments to 35. Qatar exported just 18 LNG cargoes to end-August, down from 509 in the same period last year, according to data intelligence firm ICIS.

The US and China unveiled a list of goods recommended for reduced tariffs following last week's summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, according to Al Jazeera. The agreement covers 30 billion dollars of each side's imports, with 77 Chinese goods and more than 1,600 US products, and China's Commerce Ministry said the sides would discuss a reciprocal tariff reduction framework of 30 billion for 30 billion.

China is set to cut tariffs on a broad range of US agricultural goods, from corn and wheat to meat and dairy, according to Reuters, in a text republished by The Hindu — but soybeans, the top import item, were excluded from the list and still face an additional tariff of 10%. Both sides agreed to form a trade council to discuss a reciprocal tariff cut on $30 billion worth of products, still according to Reuters, in a text republished by The Hindu.

The US ambassador to Beijing, David Perdue, said in a Fox News interview that President Donald Trump asked Xi Jinping whether he wanted to buy American weapons. The remark came while answering about the administration’s stance on Taiwan’s independence, according to the Daily Beast. Trump and Xi agreed to meet again at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen in November and at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Miami in December, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

China said on Saturday it had agreed with the United States on a $30 billion reciprocal tariff-reduction arrangement and on launching a dialogue on artificial intelligence (AI), under an eight-point consensus reached during Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington. According to China’s Foreign Ministry, the two sides also agreed to set up a trade council and extend the outcomes of earlier talks in Kuala Lumpur. The ministry said the two countries will hold a dialogue on the technology’s risks and benefits, with the next round set for November, and set up a communication channel for AI-related incidents. The leaders agreed that Iran should fulfil its commitment not to develop nuclear weapons and that no country or entity should impose transit tolls on international waterways.

Liberal lawmaker Sean Casey, who represents Charlottetown, said he was removed from his post as parliamentary secretary to the minister of veterans affairs after voting for an opposition-sponsored bill to tighten Canada’s arms export controls, according to the Anadolu Agency. The legislation sought to close loopholes that allow Canadian-made military equipment to be sold to other countries and later end up in Israel. Casey was one of 15 Liberal lawmakers who supported the bill — the only one holding a parliamentary secretary post. He learned of his removal on Thursday in a call from the prime minister’s office, which named Quebec MP Sophie Chatel as his successor the following day.

The United States is weighing a ban on diesel exports, and the European Union has already reacted. According to The Guardian, Donald Trump is considering a 90-day export ban to provide a temporary respite from high pump prices for American households before the midterm elections, after US diesel reached a record average of $6.52 a gallon. The EU warned Trump against the plan to block exports to the global market, saying the move would negatively affect Europe and the United States. According to The Wall Street Journal, EU officials say they are in talks with the Trump administration to head off export controls.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News the U.S.-China trade truce would be extended until January 10, according to CNBC. The one-year truce, agreed at a meeting in South Korea last October, was set to expire in November and now runs until January 10, Bessent said. He said the deal keeps tariffs lower for longer and rare earths flowing.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended their Washington summit on Friday, September 25, 2026, with ceremony but no progress on core issues, the Hindustan Times reported. The two sides extended their trade truce until January 10, 2027, according to Daijiworld, stretching relief that had been set to expire on November 10.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, September 25, 2026, that trade with China had reached $240 billion and keeps growing, TASS reported. Putin said he intends to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, depending on the domestic situation, TASS reported, and that Russia welcomes any positive agreement between China and the United States, Sputnik reported.

Hosting Xi Jinping for a state dinner at the White House on the night of Thursday, 24 September 2026, Donald Trump had Elon Musk of Tesla, Tim Cook of Apple, Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Sam Altman of OpenAI at the table — a sign that trade and artificial intelligence were high on the state visit’s agenda, according to AFP, in a report carried by The Hindu. Earlier, Trump said he and Xi had made “tremendous strides”, while Xi called on China and the United States to “coexist in peace” and restated Beijing’s red lines on artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the war with Iran, according to AFP. Trump also called the meeting “very productive” for Washington and Beijing and wrote on Truth Social that “tremendous things will be happening”, according to Sputnik Globe.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the trade truce with China, due to expire in November, will be extended until January, DW reports. Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States, his first in ten years, was heavy on pomp and light on substance in trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan, and the next meeting of the two presidents is expected on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen in November, according to DW.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, 24 September 2026, that the United States and China reached a common understanding on many issues in his meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. Xi called on the two militaries to keep regular dialogue and improve crisis communication and prevention mechanisms, the formula Beijing uses to avoid the “Thucydides trap”. The trade truce between the two countries, which was due to expire in November, was extended by two months, to 10 January.

US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on Thursday, 24 September 2026, in a state visit with artificial intelligence, critical minerals, human rights, tariffs and Taiwan on the agenda. As of the time of writing, the two sides had announced no comprehensive deals on tariffs, rare earths or soybean purchases, and the trade truce between them was extended by two months. Xi told reporters that “achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand.”

China published on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, a set of guidelines for handling criminal cases involving fentanyl-related substances, according to The Hindu. The document is a joint statement by China’s Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate and Ministry of Public Security: it sets quantitative criteria for conviction and sentencing and divides the substances into medicinal and non-pharmaceutical categories. The authorities will investigate smuggling, trafficking, transportation, manufacturing, illegal possession and the use of the internet in such crimes. On Tuesday, 22 September 2026, China also added two chemicals to its export control list for drug precursors, requiring permits for shipments to the United States, Mexico and Canada, according to the Associated Press. That brings the number of chemicals under the regime to 18. Both measures come on the eve of the expected meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Washington, according to The Hindu.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in New York that trade negotiations with India are making “good progress” and that the two countries aim to conclude them by the Group of 20 (G20) summit, scheduled for December 14-15, 2026 in Miami, according to the The Hindu. Carney said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed plans to visit Canada around that time, though no date has been set. Carney has said he wants to double Canada’s non-US trade over the next decade, and the talks with India are part of that push to reduce dependence on Washington amid deteriorating relations under Donald Trump’s administration, according to ANI. Negotiations were formally relaunched in March 2026, after the 2023 diplomatic rupture over the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

Russia raised frozen pollock fillet exports to the European Union (EU) by 16% in volume and 44% in value between January and July 2026, according to calculations by the analytical centre of the Russian Fish Union, published by TASS, which cites Eurostat data. Sales totaled 113,000 tonnes worth US$ 513 million in the period, and Russia's share of the European market for the product rose from 44% to 51% by weight, keeping the country as the largest supplier. Frozen cod exports stood at 6,300 tonnes (US$ 58 million) and frozen cod fillets at 6,400 tonnes (US$ 78 million). The figures come from the industry body itself, and the EU maintains bans on higher-value Russian fish products.