Antwerp diamond trade ‘faces collapse’
The centuries-old diamond trade in Antwerp is facing a severe crisis, with local traders having expressed fears that the industry could soon vanish altogether.
Trade
Latest reporting and analysis on trade.
French minister for foreign trade to challenge China over ‘political’ cognac duties
France will challenge China over its import duties on brandy, which Paris calls political and unjustified, when junior trade minister Sophie Primas visits Shanghai…
Germany and UK sign landmark defence pact
A new defence pact between London and Berlin will allow for German warplanes to operate off the coast of Scotland.
Germany wants to use India’s cheap labour market to reduce reliance on China
Chancellor Olaf Scholz leads a high-level delegation to New Delhi this week, betting that greater access to the vast Indian market can reduce Germany's reliance…
German company insolvencies at highest level since 2010, thousands of jobs affected
Germany has reportedly experienced a near-record number of corporate insolvencies, with a major economics firm warning that insolvencies have hit their highest point…
Absorbing Ukraine will make EU more powerful, Cohesion Commissioner claims
The commissioner said she did not believe that "Europe would be weakened by these enlargements" because "we have a larger internal market, a more prosperous EU and…
China hits EU brandy imports in temporary anti-dumping move
China imposed temporary anti-dumping measures on brandy imports from the European Union on Tuesday, hitting brands from Hennessy to Remy Martin, after the 27-state…
Trieste: the ideal site for Europe’s next research park
Trieste should leverage its comparative advantages as Europe’s entrepôt to Indo-Pacific and as a city of science to become a leading applied science innovation…
EU greenlights tariffs on Chinese EVs, escalating trade war
The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU expressed its discontent with the decision, labelling the anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles as a…
EU governments face pivotal vote on Chinese EV tariffs
European Union members face a pivotal vote on October 4 on whether to impose tariffs of up to 45 per cent on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles in…
KLM to cut costs over post-COVID customer lull
Dutch low-cost airline KLM has announced it will cut or delay investments and introduce cost-saving measures due to inflated costs combined with its failure to recover…
Macron: EU could be ‘killed’ by new ‘multipolar’ world order
The European Union could be "killed" by the rise of the new "multipolar" world order, French President Emmanuel Macron has claimed.
EU has enough support to impose Chinese EV tariffs, sources say
France, Greece, Italy and Poland will vote on Friday in favour of tariffs of up to 45 per cent on imports of electric vehicles (EVs) made in China, sources said,…
EU to blame for own decline, senior Eurocrat admits
"It is the normal consequence of decisions that we took, or did not take, in the last thirty years."
EC calls on WTO to challenge China’s investigation into EU dairy products
The European Commission has launched a consultation request to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to challenge China's anti-dumping investigation into European…
Eurozone business activity unexpectedly contracts in September
Eurozone business activity contracted sharply and unexpectedly this month as the bloc's dominant services industry flatlined while a downturn in manufacturing accelerated, a…
Turkey cracks down on hybrid car imports as it seeks Chinese investment
Turkey's trade ministry imposed strict conditions on the import of plug-in hybrid vehicles from some countries, including China, according to a notice published…
Von der Leyen pledges €10 billion from EU funds for post-floods reconstruction
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised €10 billion worth of assistance as she visited Poland in the wake of the floods that engulfed large…
Chinese car firm shows interest in Audi’s endangered Brussels plant
Nio, a Chinese manufacturer of electric vehicles (EV's), is said to be considering the takeover of Audi's Brussels car plant, which is due to shut down.
Cyclone Boris rips through Central Europe as flooding engulfs region
Germany, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania all are reeling under the brunt of Cyclone Boris.
Spanish PM Sánchez calls for tariff truce between EU and China
“We don’t need another war, in this case a trade war.
Germany faces a surge in bankruptcies with ‘worse to come’
In the first six months of this year, almost 25 per cent more companies in Germany filed for insolvency compared to 2023, with experts fearing that the worst is…
Volvo Cars abandons 2030 EV-only target
Swedish automaker Volvo Cars scrapped its target of going all-electric by 2030 on Wednesday, saying it now expected to still be offering some hybrid models in…
Ireland ‘looking into legality’ of EU-Israel trade agreement
Ireland is reportedly probing the legality of the European Union trade agreement with Israel ahead of a European Council meeting in September.
China ‘stuns’ EU spirits sector as it mulls tariffs on brandy
China has threatened European Union companies with retaliatory tariffs after accusing them of dumping brandy on the Chinese market, damaging its domestic industry.
Energy shortage fears sink Google’s Irish data centre plans
Fears surrounding energy shortages in Ireland have scuppered plans for a new Google data centre in the country.
Chinese EV maker aims to build cars in EU to soften tariffs
A Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer and partner of Germany's Volkswagen has said it was looking to produce cars in the European Union to bypass new import…
Canada to slap ‘100 per cent tariff on Chinese EVs’, says PM Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that Canada will impose a 100 per cent tariff on the import of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).
EU cuts Baltic Sea Cod quotas despite fish-finger shortage fears
The European Commission has announced it is cutting fishing quotas for cod despite ongoing fears of fish-finger shortages in Germany.
China, Belarus agree to strengthen cooperation in trade, security
China and Belarus have agreed to strengthen cooperation in a range of sectors including trade, security, energy and finance, according to a joint statement after…