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U.S.-China tariff delay gives Fed fresh reason to sit tight on ratesby hellenicshippingnews… on 13 May 2025 at 10:00 am
The Federal Reserve got one more reason to wait on cutting interest rates after a delay of the most punitive tariffs imposed in the Trump administration’s trade battle with China appeared to reduce the chance of a U.S. economic slowdown that would force the central bank to rush to the rescue by reducing borrowing costs. …
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China’s official media welcome US tariff deal, others scepticalby hellenicshippingnews… on 13 May 2025 at 10:00 am
A tariff deal between the United States and China on Monday was greeted with scepticism on Chinese social media, while official commentary welcomed the news. Speaking after talks with Chinese officials in Geneva, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two sides had agreed a 90-day pause and tariffs would be reduced by over 100 …
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The eurozone is still heading for a slowdownby hellenicshippingnews… on 13 May 2025 at 10:00 am
Surprisingly strong growth in the first quarter Eurozone growth surprised in the first quarter with a 0.4% quarter-on-quarter expansion. We don’t yet know all the details of the GDP component, but stronger exports ahead of the US import tariffs were the likely key driver. However, this unusual boost in the first quarter may lead to …
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Tariff tensions boost Southeast Asia trade to US; China sees a declineby hellenicshippingnews… on 13 May 2025 at 10:00 am
The US market saw initial frontloading in January amid factors such as the International Longshoremen’s Association strike on the US East Coast, US President Donald Trump’s inauguration and the Lunar New Year holidays, but volatility and uncertainty around tariffs pushed volumes downwards. Containerized volumes from China to the US declined 23.60% over January-April amid tariff …
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Saudi Arabia sits on fence over BRICS with eye on vital ties with USby hellenicshippingnews… on 13 May 2025 at 10:00 am
Saudi Arabia has held off formally joining the BRICS bloc of nations despite attending a meeting in Brazil last week, two sources said, finessing an issue that could upset Washington as Riyadh seeks to seal deals with its U.S. ally. The issue of BRICS membership has been diplomatically sensitive for Saudi Arabia since it was …
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Japan’s service sentiment worsens in April as US tariffs take tollby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
Japan’s service-sector sentiment worsened in April on concern over the impact of higher U.S. tariffs, a government survey showed on Monday, a sign uncertainty over trade talks with Washington was beginning to take a toll on the fragile economy. In the first survey since President Donald Trump’s April 2 announcement of “reciprocal tariffs”, the government …
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Japan PM Ishiba says will not accept US trade deal without auto tariff reliefby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated on Monday that Japan would not accept any trade agreement with the United States that fails to address the tariffs imposed on automobile imports. The U.S. has imposed a 25% tariff on imported automobiles, a move that has significantly impacted Japan, where vehicles account for the majority of exports …
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U.S. trade policy impacts U.K. growth and inflation, says Bank of England officialby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
The deputy governor of the Bank of England, Clare Lombardelli, indicated on Monday that the U.S. trade policy is likely to result in weaker growth and persistently low inflation in the U.K. Lombardelli, during the Bank of England Watchers’ Conference in London, pointed out that increased tariffs and uncertain U.S. policies could decrease growth and …
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UK’s Starmer, under pressure from Farage, pledges big drop in immigrationby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised on Monday to cut net migration to Britain significantly over the next four years, saying the country risked becoming “an island of strangers” if it could not maintain social cohesion. Controlling immigration was a key factor in Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union, yet net arrivals reached record …
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UK employers stay downbeat on hiring plans, surveys showby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
Gloom surrounds British employers’ hiring plans after recent tax hikes and surging uncertainty in the global economy, according to surveys on Monday that chimed with the Bank of England’s forecasts for a weakening labour market. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a professional body for human resources, said its gauge of employment intentions for …
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Bank of England’s Lombardelli says caution still needed over inflation risksby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
Bank of England Deputy Governor Clare Lombardelli said on Monday that there were signs that inflation pressures in Britain would continue to weaken but she was still cautious and would wait for evidence of the slowdown. “Caution remains appropriate. I’ll be more comfortable when I see material deceleration in the data over a longer period,” …
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Brazil seeks China trade boost amid Trump tariff chaos as Lula meets Xiby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva heads to Beijing this week to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping, seeking to tighten relations between the two nations while leveraging U.S. President Donald Trump’s unpredictable trade policies to boost exports of grains, metals and meat to China. Lula’s visit is expected to yield over a dozen deals …
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China hosts Latin American, Caribbean nations amid US trade war talksby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
China will host a summit that includes its key Latin American trade partners this week in an effort to advance influence and partnerships in the region, as Beijing and Washington work on defusing their trade war. Latin American and Caribbean officials including the presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Chile are set to attend the China-CELAC …
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Foreign investment in Germany fell for the third year in a row in 2024by hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
The number of foreign investments in Germany fell for the third year in a row in 2024, international economic promotion agency Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) said on Monday. Last year there were 1,724 new establishments and expansions, down from 1,759 projects in 2023 – a 2% year-on-year decline – 1,783 in 2022 and 1,806 …
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Deutsche Bank outlines two paths for ECB interest ratesby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
The European Central Bank is tipped to slash borrowing costs three more times this year, bringing its key deposit rate down to 1.5% by the end of 2025, according to analysts at Deutsche Bank. But in a note to clients, the brokerage warned that there are “two-sided risks” to this estimate. In one scenario, the …
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BoE’s Greene says price pressures still too high, inflation expectations risingby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
Bank of England monetary policymaker Megan Greene said on Monday that wage and inflation measures were moving in the right direction but remained too high and that she was worried about rising public inflation expectations. “What’s a little bit more worrisome for me is that medium-term inflation expectations have also started picking up,” Greene said …
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JPMorgan lifts China growth forecasts after ‘surprisingly positive’ US dealby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
Investment bank JPMorgan lifted its forecasts for China’s economic growth on Monday following what it called a “surprisingly positive” deal with the United States to dial down the two countries’ trade war. The U.S. will cut extra tariffs it imposed on Chinese imports in April to 30% from 145%, while Chinese duties on U.S. imports …
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Fed tests limits of ‘wait and see’by hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 9:00 pm
A split is emerging between the Federal Reserve and other major central banks as they try to assess the economic impact of the rapidly shifting global trade war. The Fed has kept interest rates on hold in the face of rising inflation risk, while many of its peers are cutting to cushion the blow from …
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Did Someone Say “Recession”?by hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 5:00 pm
On April 2, U.S. President Donald Trump threw his “Liberation Day” party at the White House lawn and world markets took a steep dive, prompting bets that the global economy was headed for a recession. Here we are, nearly six weeks later, with a note from Deutsche Bank Research that asks: “where is this recession?” …
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Fed’s Kugler says it has become hard to judge underlying US growthby hellenicshippingnews… on 12 May 2025 at 5:00 pm
U.S. central bank officials are having trouble judging the underlying strength of the economy given the rapid changes in trade policy and the impact on households and businesses rushing earlier this year to buy imported goods, Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler said on Monday. Speaking a day after U.S. and Chinese negotiators agreed to temporarily …