Canada and the United States are in tense trade negotiations with Ottawa considering concessions including ending provincial alcohol bans to avoid new tariffs set to take effect in less than two weeks. Prime Minister Mark Carney characterized the talks as 'nasty' after President Trump criticized Canadian leadership.
The African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat has signed a 20-year, $3.1 billion concession agreement with Nigeria's Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Ltd to implement a continent-wide customs system aimed at boosting intra-African trade.
President Trump is preparing to impose tariffs and minimum prices on imported polysilicon to boost domestic production of the material used in semiconductors and solar panels, with officials considering a months-long delay in collection.
The Trump administration will announce a 15% tariff and price floor system on polysilicon and related products as early as Thursday, targeting China's 93.5% control of the critical material used in solar panels and semiconductors. The measures follow a Section 232 national security investigation launched in July 2025.
The Trump administration is reportedly drafting regulations to ban U.S. imports of new Chinese optical modules and data center components, causing Chinese AI hardware stocks like Zhongji Innolight to slump while U.S. optical communication stocks such as Lumentum surged over 13%.
A coalition of 25 states, primarily Democratic-led, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday challenging new tariffs on dozens of countries, arguing they are an unlawful pretext to replace import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security added 43 Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List on July 31, 2026, bringing the total to 187 entities. The expansion targets companies across pharmaceutical, metals, cotton, food, and lithium sectors, including major capacitor manufacturer Hunan Aihua Group, over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Russia has extended its restrictions on diesel and gasoline exports until January 31, 2027, prioritizing domestic fuel supply despite announcing just days earlier that the diesel ban would be lifted once the domestic market recovered. The extension includes some exceptions for direct producers starting September 1.
Two groups of small businesses filed legal challenges in U.S. Court of International Trade against the Trump administration's new global tariffs that took effect Friday, targeting over 60 countries including Canada, Mexico, and the EU. The lawsuits came just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expired.
The Trump administration announced tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 trading partners, including the European Union, over alleged failures to enforce forced labor import bans. The duties will take effect at the same moment temporary 10% global tariffs expire, although a senior administration official disputed describing them as a direct replacement.
A new 25% US tariff on Brazilian goods including farm machinery, wood products, ethanol and apparel took effect on July 22, 2026, affecting about $7.2 billion of Brazil's roughly $38 billion in 2025 exports to the United States, according to ApexBrasil. Brazil said it would reciprocate, although Vice President Geraldo Alckmin later said the government would seek a negotiated resolution instead of retaliating.
President Trump announced that generic drug manufacturers must relocate production to the United States by August 2028 or face 100% import duties, threatening the supply of low-cost medicines used by millions of Americans.
President Donald Trump ordered 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian imports worth nearly $20 billion, including wine, dairy products, hockey gear and cement, citing what the U.S. administration called discriminatory treatment of American autos, alcohol and dairy goods. The tariffs are scheduled to take effect on August 19, 2026, while Canada has said it is ready to intensify trade talks.
American automakers and suppliers are racing to replace Chinese-made connectivity hardware and software in vehicles as federal restrictions take effect, with bans on Chinese connectivity software beginning with 2027 models and hardware restrictions starting with 2030 model years. The shift has spurred new domestic suppliers like Eagle Wireless while affecting companies like Polestar, which faces a U.S. sales ban over Chinese technology concerns.
A group of 25 U.S. lawmakers has written to President Donald Trump calling for trade investigations into European Union digital policies, arguing that EU tech rules unfairly target American Big Tech companies. The push comes amid broader tensions over EU technology regulation and Trump administration efforts to challenge European enforcement actions.
President Donald Trump is poised to impose fresh tariffs on approximately 60 countries as soon as this week, replacing the temporary 10% global tariff expiring Friday with new rates ranging from 10% to 12.5%. The move includes a 50% tariff on Canadian goods, citing discriminatory treatment of U.S. products.
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers called on the Trump administration Thursday to take action against imports of partially finished solar cells that they say are being used to dodge trade duties and improperly claim federal manufacturing tax credits.
The Trump administration has been forced to issue between $77-81 billion in customs duty refunds in 2026 after the Supreme Court ruled his tariff policy unlawful earlier this year. Trump reportedly expressed anger at the justices, saying he was 'absolutely ashamed' of them.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the first visit by a Philippine leader in over a decade, while separately securing a pipeline investment agreement with British Columbia aimed at reducing Canada's economic dependence on the United States amid ongoing trade tensions.
The European Union has halved its duty-free steel import quota to address overcapacity concerns, but reached agreements with more than a dozen countries including the UK for better individual rates than the baseline reduction.
The European Union introduced a €3 customs charge on small parcels and low-value e-commerce imports effective July 1, 2026, ending the tax-free exemption for purchases from platforms like SHEIN, Temu, and AliExpress. The European Commission says the measure aims to prevent the 'desertification' of European high streets and address unfair competition from Chinese online retailers.
The U.S. Trade Representative has initiated a formal trade investigation into Germany's plan to reduce spending on pharmaceutical products, examining whether the pricing policies are unreasonable or discriminatory. The probe could result in retaliatory tariffs on German goods.
European leaders and G7 nations are responding to concerns about a flood of cheap Chinese exports threatening key industries, echoing fears of the original 'China shock' that disrupted Western manufacturing. The issue has become a central topic at the G7 summit as countries weigh policy responses to growing trade imbalances.
Cuba claims its healthcare system is struggling under US energy sanctions affecting children's health and daily life, even as US exports to Cuba have jumped dramatically in 2026 through businesses exploiting a trade loophole to send fuel, food, vehicles and other goods past Trump administration sanctions.
The Trump administration is seeking to raise regional content requirements for North American-built vehicles to 82% to qualify for preferential treatment under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, with half of that value required to be produced in the United States. The proposal comes amid broader tariff actions affecting the auto industry.
China unveiled new regulations aimed at countering 'unjustified' extraterritorial use of foreign laws, threatening EU firms with reciprocal measures if the bloc targets Chinese companies under proposed cybersecurity regulations. The move is seen as reinforcing China's 'legal shield' against external pressure amid the Iran war and Panama port dispute.
Colombia responded to Ecuador's tariff hike by imposing a 100% import tax on Ecuadorian goods, escalating a trade dispute amid cross-border tensions over illicit drugs and the fate of politician Jorge Glas.
The White House is negotiating new drug-pricing agreements with smaller biotechnology companies facing the threat of 100% tariffs on imported medicines, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the meetings.
President Trump announced 100% tariffs on brand-name pharmaceutical imports and their active ingredients as part of efforts to bring drug manufacturing to the U.S. The administration is negotiating pricing deals with smaller drugmakers, with numerous carveouts expected.
President Donald Trump announced that imported generic drugs will face no tariffs for two years starting August 1, 2026, after which tariffs will rise to 100% in August 2028 and 200% from 2029 onward. The policy aims to encourage domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing but raises concerns about future drug price increases for consumers.
