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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.
Pro-government, armed civilians attend a protest in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 4, demanding the release of President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, after US forces captured and flew them to the United States. Photo: AP
US-Venezuela conflict

After Venezuela takeover, Chinese investors brace for era of regional anxiety

Washington’s moves to assert dominance in the western hemisphere could see tighter restrictions to curb Beijing’s growing footprint.

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China energy security

Maduro capture: is the US trying to grab control of the global oil market?

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India

‘It’s paying off’: India spreads its trade bets to beat Trump’s 50% tariff

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | How Hong Kong can complement Hainan’s free-trade port

Jointly designed customs rules could be used in pilot schemes to smooth the customs process for international business.

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People look at phones in the Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Hainan province, on December 18, the day China launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan free-trade port. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

Fair or fowl? Malaysia struggles to stomach its US trade pact

Local chefs fume over ‘lousy’ US poultry flooding the market, as critics call the trade agreement hastily reached and unfairly lopsided.

US-China relations

Trump orders Chinese-linked firm HieFo to divest US chip assets

Chinese-linked company ordered to unwind its acquisition of US semiconductor assets, citing national security concerns.

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Science

China’s biopharma sector ‘in prime position to challenge US leadership’

American commission issues stark warning, as analytics firm Clarivate reports that Chinese innovative drug development has entered new phase.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
European Union

Opinion | Can Europe survive its crippling paralysis?

The brutal reality is that the European Union is failing to get its squabbling nations to work as a coherent group.

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United States

Opinion | As the US struggles with affordability, consumer confidence eludes China

While many have soured on globalisation, protectionism has also failed to guarantee people’s desire for affordability and financial security.

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China trade

China’s diplomatic divide: red carpet for Seoul, cold shoulder for Tokyo firms

While Tokyo’s corporate leaders stay home amid fallout from prime minister’s remarks on Taiwan, Beijing prepares to welcome South Korean president and top executives.

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A meeting between President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is expected in the coming days. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

Singapore defies Trump’s tariffs as manufacturing drives growth

The city state’s economy grew 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter from a ‌year earlier, according to data from the trade ministry.

Singapore’s skyline. The city state’s GDP last quarter grew 5.7 per cent from the same period a year ago. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Could 2026 be the make-or-break year of CK Hutchison’s Panama ports deal?

What began as a strategic exit for a Hong Kong conglomerate has devolved into a high-stakes stand-off between Washington and Beijing.

Open Questions series

Open Questions | Amid US-China trade war truce, ex-diplomat preaches realism

Daniel Kritenbrink, once the top US diplomat for East Asia, doesn’t see a wider thaw in relations despite upcoming meetings between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

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China trade

How the ‘world’s supermarket’ rode out Trump’s tariffs – and grew even stronger

Yiwu, one of China’s biggest export hubs, was expected to take a hit from US tariffs. Instead, it has seen trade surge.

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Vendors work at the Yiwu International Trade Market, a vast emporium for wholesale goods often dubbed the “world’s supermarket”, in Yiwu, Zhejiang province. The city has recorded strong growth in exports this year despite the US-China trade war. Photo: AFP
China economy

Opinion | As history makes clear, a powerful China is not expansionist

China was an unmatched power in the Song and Ming dynasties, with greater concentrated authority. But it consolidated, rather than colonised.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Australia

‘Disappointed’ Australia slams China’s new 55% beef tariffs

Australia faces a 200,000-ton beef quota in China, its second-largest market, risking severe impact on US$667 million in annual trade, experts warn.

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South Korea

Will ‘Made in Europe’ threaten South Korea’s arms export boom?

Observers urge South Korea to integrate itself into European supply chains by increasing production localisation to maintain competitiveness.

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US-China relations

China buys two-thirds of pledged US soybeans as 2025 closes

Beijing has moved to reduce tariffs on the crop and lifted import bans on three US exporters after talks between Xi and Trump.

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A combine harvests a soybean field in Tracy, Minnesota, in October. Photo: TNS
China trade

China’s January 1 silver curbs to deepen global crunch amid volatility: analysts

Beijing’s new export-licensing system seen squeezing foreign buyers, pushing price towards US$100 an ounce; Elon Musk joins warning chorus.

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China trade

China imposes beef-import quota, adds over-quota tariffs to guard local industry

From Thursday, over-quota imports from Brazil, Australia, US and other trade partners face new duties to help local producers recover amid price declines.

Nexperia

Nexperia, Wingtech set for fresh face-off in January with US$8 billion at stake

Dutch chipmaker’s Chinese owner warns of multi-track legal action, seeking full control of the firm and damages for improper seizure amid supply-chain tensions.

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Flags fly next to a logo of Nexperia at the facade of its factory in Dongguan, Guangdong province, amid a diplomatic standoff between China and the Netherlands over the company. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

US envoy hosts Quad meeting in Beijing as PLA’s drills around Taiwan continue

Some analysts, however, say Quad is losing significance under Trump despite this latest show of unity and deterrence by the regional bloc.

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US Ambassador to China David Perdue hosted a meeting of Quad partners in Beijing on Tuesday as China continued large-scale military drills around Taiwan. Photo: Getty images via AFP
India

India overtakes Japan as world’s fourth largest economy, eyes top 3 in 2026

Government data shows India’s GDP at US$4.18 trillion, with projections it will surpass Germany by 2026 despite global trade challenges.

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US-China tech war

China’s lagging basic research calls for core tech pivot, economic adviser urges

Wang Yiming says Beijing must innovate from the ground up to create deterrents against foreign supply cuts, citing missed R&D spending target.

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Made in China 2025

Chinese firms flock to Dubai free zones to navigate trade barriers, expand reach

JD.com, CNBM, carmakers and hundreds of other Chinese companies use the hub to reach consumers across Asia, Africa and Europe.

The Jebel Ali Free Zone at the western end of Dubai. Photo: Handout
US-China relations

‘No worries’: Trump plays down Beijing’s military drills around Taiwan

Trump dismisses ‘routine’ drills in Taiwan Strait even as US arms sales hit record high and Pentagon repeats 2027 timeline.

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US President Donald Trump spoke about China’s military drills around Taiwan during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong exports jump 18.8% in November, sharpest increase in 22 months

Growth follows year-on-year increases of 17.5 per cent in October and 16.1 per cent in September.

Asia housing and property

The View | How AI helped Asia’s real estate sector pass the tariff stress test

While multiple factors are at play, this year’s tech exuberance helped the region’s property markets stay afloat.

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