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News about international trade flows, statistics and policy decisions from the world’s most important trading economies and trade-related bodies, including the World Trade Organisation.
A person points at a website tracking marine traffic and showing commercial vessels on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast last month. Photo: TNS
US, Israel war on Iran

Hormuz blockade: shipping body slams transit fees as 20,000 seafarers stranded

A ‘retrograde’ toll proposal by Tehran risks similar charges in other vital waterways, warns global association for merchant shipowners and operators.

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US-China relations

Trump’s son Eric to join father’s state visit to China

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China-Latin America relations

China and the US want rare earths. Brazil will share – on one condition

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

Exclusive | Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts

War distractions and limited goals risk turning Beijing talks into optics over substance, as expectations shrink and planning falters.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China-Middle East relations

Xi’s meeting with Abu Dhabi crown prince highlights Gulf turn towards China

Analysts said the trip was a sign that the UAE was seeking ‘more reliable partners’ in the wake of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | 4 identities Hong Kong must embrace to provide global leadership

The city can be a bedrock for world commerce, finance, governance and civilisational exchange as we enter a new phase of globalisation.

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China energy security

China turns to central Asia as US blockade in Hormuz chokes global energy flows

Chinese vice-premier to visit major gas field in Turkmenistan as Beijing aims to shore up energy security and diversify away from volatile maritime routes.

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In this 2013 image, President Xi Jinping stands alongside a model of the purification plant in Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas field during an opening ceremony. Photo: Getty Images
China trade

China’s imports surge in March as exports soften amid Hormuz blockade

Export figures fall short of predictions, rising by 2.5 per cent, while imports grow by 27.8 per cent as conflict in Middle East causes global disruption.

Japan

Japan’s Trump tariff deal faces climate backlash over projects’ 20% carbon surge

Campaigners said the three US projects could generate greenhouse gas emissions equal to about 20 per cent of Japan’s annual total.

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European Union

EU launches operations of critical minerals procurement platform

The move aims to cut reliance on dominant producer China and give more power to regional buyers.

European Union flags fly at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

US begins blockade of Iranian ports amid fragile ceasefire

Trump says Beijing ‘would like to see this ended’ as the US moves to stop vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports.

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A giant billboard reading ‘The Strait of Hormuz remains closed’ in Tehran, Iran. Photo: AFP
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Could Trump’s Hormuz blockade derail China summit with Xi Jinping?

US president’s move forces China into political dilemma and could create a flashpoint ahead of his meeting with Chinese leader, analysts say.

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China trade

Hungary’s PM-elect Magyar sends warm overture to China, vows fair play for firms

Peter Magyar pledges reforms to restore transparency and fiscal stability as Hungary shifts from Viktor Orban’s investment model.

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Yuan

Yuan’s ‘golden window’ is open, former PBOC governor says as US dollar ebbs

Zhou Xiaochuan, who laid the foundation for China’s currency to go global, says Beijing can capitalise on changes in the international monetary landscape.

People walk past Chinese yuan and US dollar symbols in Hong Kong. Former PBOC governor Zhou Xiaochuan says China should seize fresh opportunities to promote the yuan as an international currency. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

‘Blown to hell’: Trump announces US blockade of Strait of Hormuz

The US plans to block ‘all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports’ starting on Monday.

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US President Donald Trump says the American navy will block entry to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: TNS
US-Venezuela conflict

‘Eager to explore’: Chinese migrants return to Venezuela after Maduro’s capture

A large chunk of Venezuela’s Chinese community fled overseas during Maduro’s rule. Now, many are returning as they see ‘new opportunities’.

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China trade

‘Cancelling orders’ in China: Hormuz oil crisis hits transport and manufacturing

Analysts and industry insiders say higher costs are squeezing margins, with some of China’s wary industrial heartland compelled to make day-to-day purchases.

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US-China trade war

Trump’s tariff powers tested again as court questions ‘deficit’ justification

Court weighs Section 122 tariffs as plaintiffs warn of shifting tactics and judges probe limits of ‘balance of payments’ claims.

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The US Supreme Court ruled in February that Donald Trump could not use emergency powers to impose broad tariffs, reaffirming that such authority rests with Congress. Photo: AdobeStock
United States

Trump tariff refund tool will go live on April 20, US Customs says

The Supreme Court threw out the president’s duties in February, prompting what could be the largest US government repayment in history.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s Hormuz toll threat lays bare Asia’s energy vulnerability

Analysts warn that charging ships to pass through Hormuz could set a dangerous precedent for other strategic waterways and hit Asia hardest.

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Hong Kong economy

Is oil crisis just the start of economic pain for Hongkongers?

With diesel and petrol prices in city highest in the world, analysts warn that consumers will inevitably feel the impact in their wallets.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China economy

Opinion | Why Latin America is becoming indispensable to China

Latin America fits Beijing’s need for alternative partners with uncomfortable precision. That is a problem for Washington.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and wife Peng Liyuan (right) pose for a photo with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Rosangela da Silva in Beijing, China, on May 13, 2025, on the sidelines of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum. Photo: EPA-EFE/Xinhua
China-Latin America relations

Cattle prices rocket as Brazil set to exhaust Chinese beef quota by May

As Beijing tariff nears, Brazil’s exporters are rapidly reaching their quota for China, forcing South American industry to seek new buyers.

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Donald Trump

Trump’s tariff threat on European cars escalates global trade tensions

The US president said he will impose a 20 per cent tariff on all EU car imports, which could broaden a trade war already sparked with China.

US, Israel war on Iran

Yuan tokens and oil-linked fees? China experts propose ‘innovative’ Hormuz tolls

Analysts warn Trump’s ‘joint venture’ plan with Iran could formalise grey zone, while Beijing balances roles as mediator, energy importer.

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Shipping vessels sit anchored in Muscat, Oman. The country, which shares control of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran, has no plans to impose fees on ships passing through the strait. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

How can Beijing prepare for Trump’s ‘drunken boxing’ style before he meets Xi?

As Trump loomed large in both Iran war and subsequent pause, analysts weigh the importance of rhetoric vs results in his talks with China.

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Commentators say the US president’s volatile, and often contradictory, negotiation style may be effective and parties across the table should react to his actions, not his words. Photo: AP
Yuan

Conflict catalyst: China’s yuan settlements hit record amid Middle East tensions

Single-day transactions via China’s Cross-border Interbank Payment System surge past 1 trillion yuan as Beijing’s moves to expand the yuan-payment network show signs of paying off.

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Asean

US to remain key ally of Asean despite Iran war fallout: diplomat

Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink says the US still has ‘extraordinary’ influence in the region, given its trade and security ties with Asean.

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