G20 trade ministers have found common ground that countries should not target food and agriculture in conflicts, France's minister delegate for international trade Nicolas Forissier said Thursday during talks in Milwaukee. Forissier said it was “not acceptabl…
The US Commerce Department revised second-quarter economic growth up to 2.2 percent on Wednesday, while the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge stayed at 3.4 percent year-on-year in August. The new estimate for gross domestic product was 0.7 percentag…
Inflation rates rose in France and Italy in September as energy and fuel costs increased, official data showed Wednesday. France's annual inflation rate reached 3 percent, its highest level since February 2024, up from 2.4 percent in August, statistics office…
The UK economy grew by 0.5% in the April-to-June quarter, revised up from an initial estimate of 0.4%, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday. The revised figure still showed slower growth than the 0.6% expansion recorded in the first quarter. L…
China’s factory activity returned to growth in September, official data showed Wednesday, after two months of contraction in the world’s second-largest economy. The National Bureau of Statistics said the manufacturing purchasing managers’ index was 50.1, just…
US consumer confidence fell in September to its lowest level since April 2014, the Conference Board said Tuesday, as households cited prices, fuel costs and wider economic uncertainty. The Conference Board's consumer confidence index fell by 6.7 points to 81.…
Brazil's unemployment rate stayed at 5.3 percent in the three months through August, the lowest level for that period since the current methodology began in 2012, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics said on September 29. The rate has fallen fr…
A US import ban on several Canadian products, including many alcoholic beverages, took effect Tuesday as trade tensions between the neighboring countries deepened. The ban entered into force at 12:01 am US Eastern time after being announced earlier this month…
The World Trade Organization will appoint experts to examine Russia's complaint against the European Union's carbon border levy, a Geneva-based trade official said Friday after a meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body. Russia argues that the Carbon Border…
Namibia has halted livestock movement and meat exports after recording its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in its main commercial livestock zone in 60 years, the agriculture ministry said. The government ordered an immediate halt to all livestock sla…
Argentina's poverty rate rose to 32.3 percent in the first half of 2026, up 4.1 percentage points from the previous half-year, the national statistics agency Indec said Thursday. Extreme poverty also increased, rising from 6.3 percent to 7.5 percent. Children…
Gaza is experiencing the world's most severe economic crisis on record, the UN Conference on Trade and Development said Thursday, citing destroyed businesses, mass unemployment and a collapse in output. UNCTAD said in a new report that 92 percent of Gaza's ec…
The average US 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose above 7 percent as of Thursday, reaching its highest level since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, Freddie Mac data showed. The popular 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.03 percent, up from 6.30 perc…
European Union countries are split over how to define “Made in Europe” as the bloc prepares rules that could affect which companies receive public money in strategic sectors such as cars and clean energy. The European Commission proposed in March that compani…
Eurozone business activity grew in September at the fastest pace since April 2023, according to S&P Global data published Wednesday. The eurozone purchasing managers' index, a gauge of overall economic health, rose to 53.1 in September from 52 in August. A re…
The International Monetary Fund warned Wednesday that Sri Lanka's recovery from its 2022 economic collapse could be threatened by El Nino, the Middle East war and uncertainty over global trade policy. In a review of Sri Lanka's $2.9 billion bailout programme,…
The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said weak Chinese demand, trade imbalances and uncertainty over US-China trade talks are creating major challenges for European companies operating in China. In an annual position paper released on September 22,…
China announced immediate export restrictions on Tuesday for two types of precursor chemicals that can be used to make drugs, days before President Xi Jinping is expected to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington. China's commerce ministry said the subs…
UK public borrowing was £18.3 billion in August, almost 20 percent higher than a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics said. The figures come before an October 28 budget presentation by Finance Minister John Healey, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham…
The European Union and the Philippines said Tuesday they had reached substantial agreement on a free trade agreement, calling it a breakthrough after years of stalled talks. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic and Philippine trade secretary Cristina Roque made the…
Belarus's exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya warned Monday that a possible US fertilizer deal with President Alexander Lukashenko's government would be “very risky” after US President Donald Trump said Washington was working on a large potash pur…
German automotive workers staged nationwide protests on Monday to demand action from government and management to protect jobs and factories, with the IG Metall union saying almost 180,000 people took part at more than 280 sites. The protests came as Germany'…
The Maldives government said Monday it had approved a $20 billion investment by Abu Dhabi-based Eagle Hills to build a marina, homes and hotels on reclaimed land near the capital Male. The government said the project would cover 500 hectares in Ras Male and c…
Iran's gross domestic product shrank 10.1% year-on-year from late March to late June, according to figures released by the Statistical Center of Iran on Sunday. The period is the first quarter of the Persian calendar and fell during the Middle East war, which…
France's public debt is expected to reach its highest level since 1978 as the country's deficit remains high, the finance ministry said Saturday. A ministry source told reporters that public debt would reach 119.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2026 and…
Bolivia is ending its diesel subsidy after Congress approved a loan from the International Monetary Fund aimed at stabilising the country’s finances. President Rodrigo Paz said in a state television address that, starting Friday, diesel would cost the same as…
Texas ranchers and cattle groups are criticising President Donald Trump's move to allow an additional 300,000 tons of ground beef imports with reduced tariffs from September 1, saying it could hurt producers weeks before November's midterm elections. The poli…
Japan's core inflation slowed to 1.7 percent in August from 1.8 percent, official data showed Friday, hours before a Bank of Japan policy meeting. The internal affairs ministry reading excludes volatile fresh food prices. It remained close to the Bank of Japa…
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Thursday the government will cut public spending by 54 billion euros in 2027, while denying that the plan amounts to austerity. Lecornu told Le Figaro business newspaper that the cuts would bring the public deficit…
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil urged the European Union on Thursday to take stronger action against what he called China’s unfair trade practices, saying German carmakers needed protection from tougher competition. Speaking during a visit to Volkswage…
The International Chamber of Commerce has urged Washington and Tehran to accept United Nations facilitation to ease a fertiliser supply crisis linked to the Strait of Hormuz blockade. ICC Secretary General John Denton told AFP that the issue was when Iran and…
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned China on Wednesday that European Union trade talks must deliver results, saying the bloc would use “all tools” available to rebalance the relationship. Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg…
UK annual inflation rose to 3.1% in August from 2.9% in July, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday, as fuel prices increased. The figure was based on the Consumer Prices Index for the 12 months to August. Higher inflation adds pressure on Prim…
Dubai markets still stock Iranian goods despite the United Arab Emirates' announced suspension of trade and financial exchanges with Tehran, with merchants saying long-established commercial ties remain hard to break. In old Dubai, Iranian saffron, cumin, pis…
Egypt has removed 850,000 people from its food subsidy system since June, the supply ministry says, leaving some families paying far more for bread during a wider cost-of-living crisis. The cuts are part of reforms to one of the world's largest food subsidy p…
US consumer sentiment fell in September to near an all-time low, with the University of Michigan's index dropping to 47.8 as high prices weighed on households before the midterm elections. The September reading was down 7.5 percent from the previous month, ac…
The UK economy grew by 0.4% in July after expanding by 0.3% in June, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday, with computer programming and AI-related businesses helping to lift the services sector. GDP output in the three months to the end of July…
US consumer inflation held at 3.4% year on year in August, government figures showed Friday, strengthening expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates at its meeting next week. The consumer price index rose 0.4% from July, according to th…
Argentina's monthly inflation fell to a 14-month low in August, reaching 1.7 percent, the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses said. The figure was down from 2.1 percent in July. INDEC said accumulated inflation since January stood at 21.3 percent, w…
France's national statistics agency INSEE cut its forecast for the country's economic growth this year to 0.4% on Thursday, saying the French economy had fallen behind its European neighbours. The new forecast would be below the 0.9% expansion in gross domest…
Sales of previously owned homes in the United States fell in August to their lowest level in more than a year, as high mortgage rates continued to weigh on buyers. Existing home sales dropped 2.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million, t…
US producer inflation rose to 5.4% in August, Labor Department data showed Thursday, as energy costs climbed and diesel prices jumped. The Producer Price Inde…
China has extended an anti-dumping investigation into pecans from the United States and Mexico until March 25, 2027, the commerce ministry said on Thursday, September 10. The investigation had been expected to expire on September 25, 2026. The ministry cited…
Saudi exports through the Bab al-Mandab Strait are continuing to suffer after recent Houthi gains on Yemen's Red Sea coast, with weekly traffic since the start of August at under a third of this year's seven-day average, maritime tracking firm Kpler data show…
Oxfam said Thursday that the International Monetary Fund has pushed countries borrowing from it to make larger austerity cuts over the past decade, while the I…
Argentina's manufacturers are struggling after President Javier Milei opened the country to more foreign competition by dismantling trade protections. Kioshi, a footwear maker in the south of Buenos Aires, employed nearly 120 people and produced 40,000 pairs…
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday that a Canada-US trade deal was still possible and that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump “in rece…
The European Union proposed new public procurement rules on Wednesday to encourage governments and local authorities to choose European companies over Chinese bidders for public contracts. The European Commission said the reform is part of a wider effort to s…
Africa's informal economy employs nearly 83 percent of workers in recent years, according to the International Labour Organization, making unregulated work both a lifeline for millions and a challenge for governments seeking tax revenue and formal jobs. Infor…
China's consumer inflation rose to 0.8% in August but stayed below Beijing's current 2% target, National Bureau of Statistics data showed on Wednesday. The consumer price index was up from 0.5% in July and matched the forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economi…
The European Central Bank raised its eurozone growth and inflation forecasts for the coming years on Thursday, saying the economy remained resilient as the Mid…
The White House issued executive orders late Tuesday, September 8, banning imports of some Canadian products and raising tariffs on others as the US trade dispute with Canada widened. A 50% surcharge will apply from September 15 to a range of Canadian goods i…
US President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to exclude Canadian products from a government procurement program unless Canada restores what he called “full and fair reciprocity” for American farmers and companies. Trump said in a social media post that he…
US President Donald Trump said Sunday during a visit to Ireland that he would lift tariffs on Irish whiskey, after appeals by Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and golfer Shane Lowry. Irish whiskey exports to the United States have suffered since Trump impo…
Senegalese Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo said Tuesday that the government would not take “drastic adjustment” measures after reaching agreement w…
South Africa's economy shrank 0.2 percent in the second quarter of 2026, ending a nearly two-year run of growth less than two months before local government el…
German exports fell in July for the first time in five months, according to provisional data from statistics agency Destatis, adding to concerns about the reco…
US President Donald Trump issued executive orders late Tuesday, September 8, banning imports of some Canadian alcoholic beverages and dairy products and imposi…
China's exports rose 25% year-on-year in August and imports increased 28.2%, customs data showed, as demand linked to artificial intelligence supported trade b…
Japan's economy grew 0.4% in the second quarter, faster than the initial 0.3% estimate, revised Cabinet Office data showed Tuesday. The data covered the three…
China's exports rose 25% year on year in August and imports increased 28.2%, the General Administration of Customs said on Tuesday, as trade in technology prod…
China began collecting temporary anti-dumping deposits on imports of dichlorosilane from Japan on Tuesday, September 8, after its commerce ministry said a prel…
Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier said Monday that it supports tens of thousands of US jobs, after President Donald Trump threatened to block the company's sa…
Cuba said the US embargo caused more than $8 billion in economic losses between March 2025 and February 2026, a figure its government described as a record. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Monday that the estimate was 7 percent higher than last year's p…
French wine production is expected to fall to its lowest level in about 70 years after a summer of unprecedented heatwaves and drought, France's agriculture mi…
German factory output fell 1.1% in July, official data showed, underscoring the fragility of Europe's biggest economy. The federal statistics agency Destatis…
The eurozone economy grew by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2026, the EU's statistics agency said in revised data published Monday. The new figure for the 21-c…
The eurozone economy grew by 0.6 percent in the second quarter, revised data showed.
UK Finance Minister John Healey pledged on September 7 to keep strict fiscal discipline at the centre of the Labour government's October 28 budget, while also…
Turkey has raised its year-end 2026 inflation forecast to 28.4%, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said on Sunday as he unveiled the country’s medium-term economic programme for 2027-2029. Yilmaz said the government expected inflation to begin falling again in the…
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a 2.2-billion-euro package of aid and tax breaks for 2027 on Saturday, the latest government measure ahead of legislative elections due next spring. Mitsotakis, a conservative seeking a third term, said in a…
US employers added 162,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1 percent, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday, while diesel prices h…
US President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to stop trading with countries with which the United States has a deficit unless the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the Fed should lower rates because the United States wa…
France announced more than one billion euros in emergency support for farmers on Friday after a summer of heatwaves, wildfires and drought, but agricultural groups said the package was too small. Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said the money was meant to…
The United States added 162,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1 percent, government data showed Friday. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics said employment expanded in restaurants and bars, while local government education jobs recovered…
Global food prices rose 1.9 percent in August from July as drought and conflicts affected commodity markets, UN Food and Agricultural Organization data showed Friday. The FAO food price index was 2.5 percent higher than in August 2025. The increase accelerate…
German factory orders rose in July for a third month in a row, adding to signs of recovery in the industrial sector of Europe’s biggest economy. Industrial orders, an indicator of future business activity, increased 2.5% from the previous month, the statistic…
White House Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Britain it was choosing "Brussels over America" despite Brexit, warning in an interview with the Financial Times that this could hinder efforts to expand a US-UK trade deal. Greer said the UK was not using…
Brazilian meat exports to the European Union can resume once Brazil shows it complies with the bloc's animal health rules, the EU said after suspending imports from the South American country. The suspension took effect on Thursday. Brussels said Brazil had f…
Cuba has begun implementing major free-market reforms that allow foreigners to invest in real estate and let domestic companies import and export without gover…
Canada's trade surplus fell to C$769 million (US$558 million) in July from C$4.2 billion (US$3.1 billion) in June, Statistics Canada said Thursday, as oil and…
India's 7.8 percent year-on-year GDP growth figure for the April-June quarter has come under scrutiny after a former senior finance ministry official said chan…
The US trade deficit widened in July to $88.6 billion, its largest level since March 2025, as technology imports rose during the AI build-out, Commerce Departm…
German growth forecasts for 2026 have been raised by leading research institutes, which said Europe’s biggest economy had withstood the energy shock from the M…
New US tariffs of up to 100% took effect Thursday on drones and certain components, as Washington seeks to reduce reliance on imports in an industry dominated…
Traditional gristmills in Appalachia are drawing renewed interest from millers, chefs and food advocates who say stone-ground grains can help support healthier…
Argentine President Javier Milei said Wednesday that austerity was “not up for discussion” and that he would not soften his fiscal policies ahead of the 2027 p…
US private-sector employers added 38,000 jobs in August, the slowest pace since the start of the year, payroll firm ADP said Wednesday. The figure was down fr…
France's finance ministry said Wednesday that drought and record heatwaves this summer will shave 0.1 percent off the country's economic growth this year. Min…
G20 finance leaders, excluding China, urged “free, safe, and predictable” navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in a statement released at the close of US-ho…
Senegal's $2.2 billion staff-level loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund has put the country's debt treatment plan at the centre of its economic…
US manufacturing activity expanded more slowly in August, with new orders and imports weakening, the Institute of Supply Management said Tuesday. The ISM manufacturing index fell to 54.6 percent, down one percentage point from July, when it reached a four-yea…
Brazil's economy grew 0.5 percent in the second quarter from the previous quarter, slowing from 1.1 percent growth in the first quarter, the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute said Tuesday. The institute said household consumption fell 0.4 percent i…
A federation of European textile associations called Tuesday for a €10 handling fee on fashion imports into the European Union, in the latest effort to curb ultra-cheap competition mainly from China. Euratex president Mario Jorge Machado welcomed the EU's exi…
Eurozone inflation rose to 3.3 percent in August, its highest level in three years, as energy costs increased, official European Union data showed Tuesday. The rate reported by Eurostat was up from 2.9 percent in July and remained above the European Central B…
Japan eased overtime oversight on September 1, ending labour office pressure on some companies to keep monthly overtime at 45 hours despite criticism that the change weakens safeguards against overwork. The government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi adopted…