Belgium, Germany hit hardest by huge drop in chemicals industry activity in EU
Belgium and Germany have borne the brunt of a sharp downturn in Europe’s chemicals industry. The sector has been shrinking fast;
Trade
Latest reporting and analysis on trade.
China widens industrial lead over Europe but figures not straightforward
China has pulled ahead of Europe in terms of factory output but the numbers, and what they mean, were not as straightforward as they may look.
Trump says EU ‘has not offered fair trade deal’ and quits G7 summit early
US President Donald Trump said the European Union had yet to offer a "fair deal" on trade, as Washington negotiated tariff agreements with friends and foes alike.
Investor mood jumps in Germany, hinting at end to stagnation
A sharp rise in investor confidence has fuelled hopes that Germany’s long-running economic stagnation could be nearing an end — a potential shift that would…
China’s EV trap: Preach Green, get a cheap car, lose your job
Buckle up, China’s electric vehicle market is a wild brawl. Prices plummet fast, and executives sling insults like playground bullies.
China’s structural slump may fuel flood of cheap goods to EU
China's factories have been producing more than its domestic market can absorb, and those goods are headed to Europe.
German economy forecast to grow in 2026 after three years of dismal results
According to the Munich-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research and the Kiel Institute Summer Forecast report on June 12, German economic growth was set to accelerate…
EU and UK sign ‘historic’ deal on Gibraltar ‘reset’
The European Union and Britain sealed an agreement on the status of the territory of Gibraltar, in what was billed as a "historic" breakthrough five years after…
‘Strict anti-tobacco legislation has backfired,’ KPMG study indicates
European countries have been struggling with illicit tobacco trade but their own policies were making matters worse, a study has shown.
German exports to US drop substantially as global trade shifts
Germany’s exports to the US have slumped, according to the latest data by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
‘Economic liberalism no longer working,’ international officials warn
Japan’s economy minister Minoru Kiuchi has warned that the risks of economic liberalism now rivalled its benefits as a growing number of governments have been…
‘Europe overestimates Ukraine,’ says its ambassador
The European Union has grown accustomed to the war in Ukraine and was overestimating the country’s resilience, Ukraine’s ambassador to the EU in Brussels said.
‘Stop flood of incoming steel,’ EU industry begs Brussels
The steel industry has issued a stark warning in Brussels, urging the European Union to take decisive action against surging imports of cheap metal.
US doubles steel, aluminium tariffs as OECD ministers gather
The United States doubled steel and aluminium tariffs Wednesday, casting a pall on a gathering of OECD ministers as President Donald Trump's intensifying trade war…
Amazon price rules anti-competitive: German regulator
Amazon's pricing rules are an abuse of its market power, Germany's competition watchdog said June 2, paving the way for possible demands for changes to its business…
Euro-champions to be built on subsidies, but where can the EU find markets?
Moving with its usual lightning speed, the European Commission has pencilled in the end of 2027 for new guidelines designed to relax competition rules and permit…
Another U-turn: Trump lets the EU off the hook – for now
US President Donald Trump has once again reversed course on a steep tariff hike for the European Union.
EU pours money into Pakistan and enables authoritarianism
The EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) is a golden ticket. It offers developing nations duty-free access to European markets. The catch?
From the man who knows: Starmer surrenders the Brexit deal in return for nothing
The Labour government’s “reset deal” with the EU has dominated British news past this week. It has reopened the wounds of Brexit and re-ignited the arguments.
European stocks sink as Trump eyes huge EU tariff
European stock markets tumbled Friday after US President Donald Trump ended a lull in his trade war as he raised the spectre of hitting imports from the European…
EU to act against ‘invasion’ of small Chinese parcels
The EU will move to impose new import fees on an “invasion” of ultra-cheap Chinese parcels entering its market daily.
EU parliament backs Russian fertiliser tax opposed by farmers
EU lawmakers greenlighted tariffs on Russian fertiliser imports on Thursday, May 22, a move the Kremlin derided as Europeans shooting themselves in the foot.
Latest from Denmark: Europe’s pharma footprint shrinking
A sharp contraction in Denmark’s economy has spotlighted the EU’s overdependence on a shrinking number of pharmaceutical giants, a weakness long flagged in competitiveness…
Fast tariffs, slow deals: US courts question reciprocal tariffs imposition
US President Donald Trump's swift "reciprocal" tariffs will now face legal scrutiny, raising questions both about the rapid tariffs and the slow-moving reality of…
Following Trump, EU foreign ministers to lift all economic sanctions against Syria
The European Union will soon lift all its remaining economic sanctions against Syria, according to reports by AFP and Bloomberg.
One in two Belgians prepared to boycott US goods after tariffs
Nearly one in two Belgians is prepared to boycott US products, according to surveys by the Belgian press.
‘We are turning a page’, say UK and EU signing ‘reset’ agreement
The UK agreed to reset ties with the European Union since Brexit, with a new agreement removing trade barriers and bringing more collaboration on defence.
UK-EU set to seal closer ties in first summit since Brexit
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was set to seal a deal for closer ties with the European Union at a landmark summit on Monday, opening a new chapter after Britain's…
Former Italian PM Enrico Letta: Single market not so single, but at least ‘Trump gave us a shared agenda’
Former Italian PM Enrico Letta warned Europe was not fit for the global stage, as it prepared for trade talks with Donald Trump.
Ukraine’s mining minister: while US deal is a start, the EU’s the aim
The US may have been first to strike a minerals deal with Ukraine, but the real goal is a deal with Europe, Kyiv has said.