China vows countermeasures if EU enacts ‘Made in Europe’ plan
Beijing slammed on today an EU plan aimed to bolster the bloc's industries against fierce competition from China, vowing countermeasures if it is enacted.
Trade
Latest reporting and analysis on trade.
Poland to take EU Mercosur trade deal to the ECJ
Poland has announced plans to file a legal challenge at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against the European Union’s trade agreement with South America.
Trump threatens UK with ‘big tariff’ over digital services tax
US President Donald Trump has warned Britain that he will impose a “big tariff” on the United Kingdom unless it scraps its Digital Services Tax, which he says…
Former Polish PM Morawiecki calls for ‘economic NATO’ to keep US in Europe
Mateusz Morawiecki, who was Polish prime minister in the last Conservative (PiS government between 2017 and 2023, has called for the building of a strong economic…
Russian billionaires see wealth grow by 11 per cent despite war and sanctions
Russian billionaires saw their collective wealth rise by 11 per cent to a record $696.5 billion (€595.31 billion) over the past year, according to Forbes Russia.
Lufthansa cancels 20,000 flights over fuel price hikes and strikes
Germany’s flagship carrier Lufthansa is set to cut 20,000 flights in the coming months to save on jet fuel and deal with additional costs from airline staff strikes.
EC proposes full revival of EU-Syria co-operation agreement
Von der Leyen travelled to Damascus in January, alongside European Council President António Costa.
‘Build Chinese cars in Volkswagen plants,’ says Lower Saxony’s PM
The Minister-President of Lower Saxony has suggested that Volkswagen should consider allowing Chinese manufacturers to produce vehicles in underutilised German plants…
EU industrial policy fails, so European prime ministers go to China
Pedro Sánchez arrived in Beijing on April 14, 2026 to a full military honours reception and left having signed nineteen bilateral agreements with China — covering…
Wizz Air says had problems with jet fuel supply in Italy
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has encountered some jet fuel shortages at three airports in Italy, its chief executive said Friday, following warnings about…
Twelve arrests in raid on suspected international drug-trafficking ring
Europol supported police authorities in Montenegro and Germany in an operation targeting an alleged Balkan drugs cartel.
Soft democracy, no vote? Labour setting up UK to align with EU in string of sectors
Ministers in the UK Labour government are set to introduce a bill that would enable the country to align with evolving European Union regulations in selected areas…
‘Expected decline’: Porsche sales plummet again
German carmaker Porsche has seen its sales drop again, with around 60,910 vehicles sold in the first quarter of 2026, a 15 per cent decrease compared with the same…
Polish President Nawrocki demands PM Tusk sues EU over Mercosur
The opposition Conservatives (PiS)-allied President Karol Nawrocki wrote to Prime Minister Donald Tusk demanding the immediate filing of a complaint against the…
Illicit cigarette trade starting to resemble drug trade, with weapons and turf wars
Europe’s booming illicit tobacco trade, with nearly half of all cigarettes sold in several countries now coming from illegal sources, is deeply intertwined with…
German economy minister warns of fuel shortage from end of April
Germany’s Federal Minister for the Economy, Katherina Reiche, has warned of an impending fuel shortage if the Iran war drags on for much longer.
South Korea gets US permission to import oil from Russia to ease fuel crisis
South Korea will likely turn to Russia for oil imports after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has cut the east Asian country off from its main suppliers in the…
Thirteen tonnes of cocaine seized in Dunkirk in two weeks
Customs officials carried out three major cocaine seizures at the port of Dunkirk, intercepting more than 13 tonnes of narcotics.
The Hormuz crisis is about much more than oil
The Western public has been conditioned to think of energy crises in terms of petrol prices and heating bills.
Europol-led global criminal raid unearths €10m cash and 127,000 tonnes of waste
A major international police operation has dealt a significant blow to criminal groups profiting from environmental crime, seizing vast quantities of illegal waste…
Von der Leyen ignores objections by EP and pushes Mercosur deal through
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has confirmed her decision to proceed with provisional application of the Mercosur trade pact.
Trump administration have a vision of Hamilton’s ‘American System’ economics
The Supreme Court decision striking down Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs at will has important implications…
Polish opposition calls on US to offer Poland defence loan as alternative to EU proposal
The Polish opposition Conservatives (PiS) have called on the current US Republican administration to propose an attractive loan offer for the country to purchase…
High tobacco taxes risk fueling illicit trade and undermining health goals, EESC says
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has cautioned that abrupt or excessive increases in excise duties on tobacco and nicotine products could drive…
US Supreme Court strikes down swath of Trump global tariffs
The US Supreme Court ruled Friday that Donald Trump exceeded his authority in imposing a swath of tariffs that upended global trade, blocking a key tool the president…
Banned Brazilian hormone-tainted beef slipped through EU’s control system
The integrity of the European Union’s food safety protocols has come under scrutiny following the detection of several shipments of Brazilian beef contaminated…
EU gives Austria fiscal leeway to boost defence spending despite ballooning deficit
Austria can spend billions on buying new equipment for its military, even though the budget deficit is soaring and the country is under a European Union deficit…
Public opinion doubts if ‘more Europe’ is the way forward
In Brussels, these are the worst of times, but also the best of times.
Volkswagen mulls plant closures and drastic cuts to stop losing money
Volkswagen is facing its most severe restructuring since the 2015 "Dieselgate" scandal as CEO Oliver Blume proposes a €60 billion cost-slashing programme and refuses…
EU Hunger Games: Why the EUSSR is sabotaging your table
While enlightened bureaucrats play politburo, Europe’s farmers and consumers are expected to absorb - or maybe fail to absorb - yet another blow.