Britain's Financial Conduct Authority is working with major banks and market participants to establish standards for tokenized gold, aiming to digitize financial markets and reinforce London's position as the global bullion trading center amid competition from Hong Kong and Shanghai.
China's exports rose 23.9% year-on-year to $397.85 billion in July 2026, while imports climbed 27.5%, reflecting robust growth in technology and AI-related shipments despite geopolitical headwinds. The strong performance exceeded market estimates, though the trade surplus narrowed.
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.
Major global banks including JPMorgan, Citibank, and UBS successfully settled real cross-border payments using tokenized central bank reserves and commercial bank deposits in a pilot program coordinated by the Bank for International Settlements.
India's drug regulator has taken enforcement action against approximately 90% of inspected pharmaceutical facilities identified as high-risk under a nationwide quality initiative, as authorities intensify oversight amid increased global scrutiny of Indian-made drugs.
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.
A new PhotonPay research report documents how stablecoin-based multi-rail payment systems are cutting African cross-border B2B settlement costs from $5-$15+ to under $1 and reducing settlement times from days to minutes, as companies like Lumepay launch institutional payment solutions targeting the continent's fragmented commercial trade infrastructure.
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.
China's Commerce Ministry said China is soliciting views from domestic companies, business associations, local governments, and U.S. business groups, while the United States is separately seeking public comments on the Board of Trade and the reciprocal tariff arrangements. The proposed framework covers about $30 billion worth of goods on each side, while the two countries continue to work out the board's structure, functions, and operating model.
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 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.
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.
South Korea's exports jumped 52.3% year-over-year in the first 20 days of July 2026, reaching a record for the period as semiconductor shipments soared 180.6% on AI-driven demand. Exports to China surged 94.1%, while automobile exports declined 10.6%.
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.
Australia has agreed to sell uranium to India for peaceful nuclear energy purposes in a landmark agreement signed by Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi in Melbourne. The deal supports India's goal of achieving 100 gigawatts of nuclear energy capacity by 2047.
Swift announced its blockchain-based ledger is ready for initial use, with 17 banks from six continents preparing to pilot live transactions using tokenized deposits for 24/7 cross-border payment availability. The system moved from concept to activation in nine months.
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 and China have agreed to enter three months of negotiations aimed at resolving their massive trade imbalance and avoiding escalating trade tensions. The talks, formalized in their first joint statement in seven years, will focus on the bloc's €360bn annual import/export deficit with China, with an October deadline set for tangible results.
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.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing will participate in a rare video conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron with G7 countries on Thursday to discuss global trade imbalances and low-priced Chinese exports, as Germany signals potential tougher trade measures.
French President Emmanuel Macron convened a video conference between G7 countries and China to address global economic imbalances, as the G7 summit pivots away from a single overarching statement toward separate policy declarations on topics including critical minerals and cancer research.
Asia-Pacific trade envoys gathered in Suzhou, China on May 22, 2026 for an APEC trade ministers' meeting focused on multilateral cooperation, trade imbalances, and supply chain resilience. China's International Trade Representative Li Chenggang chaired the opening as the commerce minister was absent due to urgent official business.
Britain has finalized a trade agreement with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council worth £3.7bn ($5bn) annually in the long term, marking the first such deal between the GCC and a G7 nation. The agreement comes amid regional tensions from the Iran war and concludes negotiations that spanned four UK prime ministers.
President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on May 13, 2026, for his first visit to China and the first U.S. presidential trip to the country in nearly a decade. The summit with President Xi Jinping, originally scheduled for March but delayed due to the Iran war, will address tensions over Taiwan, trade disputes, and efforts to persuade China to help bring Iran back to negotiations.
US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next week to discuss trade, Taiwan, technology, and the ongoing Iran war. China views the unresolved Middle East conflict as potentially strengthening its negotiating position.
Western Union announced it will launch USDPT, a Solana-based stablecoin, next month to serve as an alternative to SWIFT for agent settlements. The company is also introducing a 'Stable Card' for global consumer payments and a network connecting digital wallets to its retail infrastructure.
Multiple foreign governments are rejecting U.S. findings that they aren't adequately addressing forced labor in their supply chains, while 22 Democratic state attorneys general oppose the Trump administration's proposed tariffs of up to 12.5% on 59 countries based on forced labor concerns.
President Trump delivered harsh public rebukes to two of his closest European allies, saying Italian PM Giorgia Meloni lacks 'courage' over the Iran war and warning the UK that their trade deal 'can always be changed' after Britain declined to join US military operations.
President Donald Trump has signed multiple executive orders threatening to impose tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran or provide oil to Cuba, escalating economic pressure on both nations and potentially affecting major trading partners like Mexico.
