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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.
China accounted for 71 per cent of US rare earth element imports from 2021 to 2024, according to the US Geological Survey. Photo: Reuters
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Exclusive | Could China’s rare earth supplies dictate how long US strikes on Iran go on?

The American military’s dependence on Chinese sources gives Beijing leverage in the lead-up to Trump’s trip, sources say.

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China trade

China’s oil-import surge seen shielding economy with 120-day buffer

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US, Israel war on Iran

Asia sees violence, fuel rationing, queues as energy crunch over war hits

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China-EU relations

Why the ‘China threat’ was barely mentioned in Germany’s latest state election

Baden-Wurttemberg’s car industry is facing steep job losses amid intense Chinese competition. But local candidates largely avoided blaming China.

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Candidates in the Baden-Wurttemberg state election attend a press conference in Stuttgart after the release of exit polls on March 8. Photo: AFP
China energy security

China’s energy defences ease sting of Iran war instability

Reliance on coal power, investments in renewables and a huge oil stockpile will help China weather disruption to global crude supplies stemming from the Iran war.

Semiconductors

China’s chip exports surge 73% as AI demand fuels semiconductor growth

Chip exports hit US$43.3 billion in January and February, outpacing China’s overall export growth of 21.8 per cent in the same period.

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US-China trade war

US to counter China’s critical minerals dominance with innovative upgrades

New improvements in recycling electronic waste, refining and processing can close the gap on China, says Department of Energy official.

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Critical minerals have become a point of contention in the US-China relationship, with Beijing dominating the sector. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

China-US trade relations may reach a ‘tactical truce’, as 2 superpowers talk

Foreign companies in China quietly confident on US ties, but are bracing for ongoing geopolitical tensions.

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US-China relations

US and China clash over fentanyl and tariffs at global drugs meeting

The exchange underscored tensions ‌between the two countries ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting in China at the end of the month.

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China energy security

China vows to stabilise oil and gas output in new 5-year plan amid global risks

Amid Mideast instability and US$100 oil, China is mapping out strategic production bases, underpinning long-term energy security.

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A truck is loaded with coal in China’s Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP
War and conflict

Opinion | Superpower contest puts Iran, Panama, Venezuela and Greenland on one map

When one crisis touches canal access, another hits crude and a third touches the Strait of Hormuz, it is hard to call these a coincidence.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, speak at a press conference on US military action in Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington on March 2. Photo: AFP
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Exclusive | Trump’s China visit confined to Beijing due to schedule, security needs: sources

‘Given the situation [in the Middle East], the visit’s security arrangements must be extremely careful’.

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India

India’s 30-day Russian oil waiver comes with a steep US price tag

Washington has granted New Delhi a brief waiver for stranded Russian crude – but expects it to ramp up American oil purchases in return.

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China-EU relations

Get realpolitik? Von der Leyen questions Europe’s faith in rules-based order

The EU must become more realistic and interest-driven to keep up with the new world order, bloc chief says.

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Preparations are already under way for a “European Security Strategy”, an approach that will be the cornerstone of Ursula von der Leyen’s vision. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks slump alongside Asian markets after oil crosses US$100

Brent crude jumps over 20 per cent to trade at around US$110 a barrel, prompting investors to further reduce risk exposure.

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The Marine Traffic website shows commercial ship traffic on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast, on March 4. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
Two Sessions 2026

Is Trump’s China trip still on? Despite Iran, Wang Yi sees potential

Chinese foreign minister suggests the summit with Xi is still on track and high-level engagement remains key.

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Two Sessions 2026

Abandon the lonely attic, join the China gym: Wang Yi to Europe

Foreign minister’s comments come at closely watched press conference on ‘two sessions’ sidelines.

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China trade

Iran war fallout grows as China struggles to import vital fertiliser chemical

Supplies of sulphur – a key fertiliser ingredient – are tightening in China just as the spring planting season begins.

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Smoke rises above buildings in Tehran after air strikes on March 1. The escalating conflict in the Middle East is leading to tight supplies of sulphur in China. Photo: Getty Images
China-EU relations

Opinion | How Europe and China can rise above paralysis and mistrust

Together, Brussels and Beijing can reshape global power into a balance where Europe matters and China gains legitimacy as a responsible power.

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Indonesia

Indonesia’s US trade deal faces a sovereignty reckoning at home

Nearly 80 civil groups and 65 academics have signed a petition urging parliament to block ratification of the ‘shameful’ deal.

United States

US tariff refund system to be ready in 45 days, after Trump duties struck down

The US customs agency is trying to hammer out a process for returning US$166 billion in tariff ‌payments to around 330,000 importers.

A US flies in front of shipping containers at the Port o Los Angeles in June 2025. Photo: TNS
Yuan

Beijing vows yuan stability, fires back at currency-depreciation claims

PBOC governor reaffirms yuan stability, refuting trade partners’ accusations ahead of critical US talks in Paris.

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A woman walks by an exchange shop decorated with banknotes. There has been mounting pressure from China’s trade partners to allow the yuan to strengthen. Photo: Felix Wong
Qatar

Qatar’s LNG halt exposes Asia’s energy vulnerability

Analysts say the turmoil underscores Asia’s need to shift to renewable energy, as nations scramble for alternatives amid the disruption.

Indonesia

Is Indonesia’s fuel subsidy sustainable as Iran war continues?

Higher oil prices would mean bigger fuel subsidies, piling on the pressure on a budget that is already under investor scrutiny.

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United States

24 US states sue to stop Trump’s latest global tariffs

The lawsuit argues that the president cannot sidestep the Supreme Court ruling that invalidated his previous sweeping import duties.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the White House in February. Photo: AFP
United States

US won’t let India become rival like China, Trump official says

Washington will not ‘make the same mistakes’ as it did with Beijing 20 years ago, the State Department’s Christopher Landau says.

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India has avoided taking sides in the widening US-Iran conflict, as it finalises a trade deal under negotiation since US President Donald Trump took office. Image: Shutterstock
Two Sessions 2026

China targets lowest growth range in 35 years as pressures rise

Beijing to prioritise hi-tech over stimulus-driven growth with focus on the people in notable shift, premier’s work report to NPC reveals.

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Donald Trump

Trump’s 15% global tariffs likely to start this week, US Treasury chief says

US president imposed a 10 per cent levy after the Supreme Court invalidated his previous measures, then threatened to raise it further.

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