Mercedes CEO : Europe risks ‘automotive collapse’ over CO2 emissions rule
Europe’s automotive sector faces collapse under the weight of the EU’s CO2 regulations and their “draconian penalties,” Ola Källenius, CEO of carmaker Mercedes…
Trade
Latest reporting and analysis on trade.
EU consumer sales rebound defies tariff tensions
European consumers are quietly rescuing EU growth — even while boycotting US brands.
Spain favours European options over US-made F-35 fighter jets
Spain has decided against purchasing US-made F-35 fighter jets and will instead opt for European-made options, the defence ministry said August 6, confirming a report…
Top buyer in world rice market to suspend imports
Rice prices have fallen to a record low after the Philippines announced it would suspend rice imports for 60 days.
Setback for German industry as new orders unexpectedly fall in June
Order intake for the German manufacturing sector has unexpectedly fallen, according to data published by the Federal Statistical Office.
Ukraine seeks €120m loan from Poland to buy Polish weapons
Ukrainian foreign minister Adrii Sybiha confirmed his country was seeking a €120 million loan to fund the purchase of Polish-produced weapons.
US exports more gas globally amid trade negotiations and sanctions on Russia
The US has expanded natural gas exports through trade negotiations while applying parallel pressure on Russian energy flows — a dual strategy that has shifted…
Export-oriented Belgium’s unemployment rate rises as EU’s edges lower
Belgium’s unemployment rate rose to 6.5 per cent in June 2025, up from 5.5 per cent the year before.
India hits out at EU, US ‘targeting it over purchases of Russian oil’
India's foreign ministry said the European Union and US were "targeting" it due to its buying of Russian oil, adding that the moves were "unjustified" and that it…
Despite euro-fantasies, Trump, Xi and Putin do not regard the EU as a sovereign state
Much has been made of the lopsided deal Ursula von der Leyen struck with Donald Trump, which among other things traded zero tariffs on US goods for a 15 per cent…
EC retaliation on hold until Trump reveals details of trade deal
Brussels is delaying its €93 billion retaliation package against the United States, saying it must first see how US President Donald Trump implemented the terms…
US hits Brazil with 50% tariffs and judicial sanctions
Washington has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on more than half of Brazilian exports.
Ryanair says dropping three French airports over ‘harmful’ tax
Irish airline Ryanair said on July 30 it was dropping three French airports over a "harmful" tax hike on air tickets and urged Paris to change course.
Who will pay for US tariffs?
Despite US President Donald Trump’s claim that “Europe will pay,” evidence suggests US businesses and consumers will be footing the bill for the newly agreed…
Italian police roll up massive illegal tobacco factory
In a significant blow to organised crime and illicit trade, Italy's financial police has uncovered one of Europe’s largest illegal cigarette production plants.
US tech firms could leave EU over DSA, Republican lawmakers warn
US tech giants will abandon the EU if the Digital Services Act (DSA) is not amended, three members of a visiting Republican congressional delegation told Brussels…
Export-oriented Belgium badly needs free‑market reform, reports warn
Even while Belgium's economy remains focussed on exports, its internal market suffers from excessive regulation, fragmented governance, and blurred public‑private…
Tariff in EU-US deal ‘burdens’ German carmakers: industry group
The 15-per cent tariff that the United States will apply to exports of cars from the European Union as part of a new deal "burdens" Germany's carmakers, an industry…
US flattens EU: Brussels is too weak to be a pole in a multipolar world
The trade deal on July 27 between America and the European Union was disastrous for Europe. The Financial Times described it as “the EU to Trump’s steamroller.
Is an ‘uneven’ EC-US tariffs deal better than no deal?
After tense negotiations with the US, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emerged from a last-minute meeting in Scotland with a preliminary trade…
Hit by strong euro and tariff war, Germany’s Puma sees sales plummet
German sportswear group Puma slashed its 2025 outlook after an 8.3 per cent drop in second-quarter sales, which gave it a €135 million quarterly loss.
No progress in EU-China talks as tensions mount
EU-China talks stalled this week amid growing global tensions and an unwillingness to compromise on either sides.
Volkswagen profits collapse amid US tariffs and electric-vehicle disappointment
Germany's auto giant Volkswagen has reported a 36.3 per cent drop in its net profits, citing US tariffs and ongoing struggles with its electric vehicle strategy.
Investors hope for EU-US deal after Japan secures concessions
Markets have rallied because investors said they believed the European Union may now get a Japan-style deal with the US — after Tokyo secured major concessions…
Baltic States ‘pay €90K’ to host US influencer IShowSpeed in tourism PR blitz
The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have each reportedly spent €30,000 to host US influencer and internet star Darren Jason Watkins Jr.
In holiday hotspot Greece, barely half the population can afford a week off
Greece has remained one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations but, for many Greeks, a full week of holiday has become financially out of reach.
China’s export surge may be ‘frontloading’
China’s recent export surge may not reflect strength but urgent necessity.
EC quietly reveals proposal on Tobacco Taxation Directive
Under the looming shadow of negotiations over the European Union’s next long-term budget, the European Commission has quietly released a proposal to overhaul the…
Irish Government to delay alcohol labelling until 2029
Ireland's controversial alcohol labelling, which was set to be introduced in 2026, is likely to be pushed back to 2029.
EC shelves usual pre-meeting trade talks ahead of summit with China
As the the EU–China summit on July 24–25 in Beijing nears, the European Commission said usual pre-meeting talks will not take place due to “lack of progress”…