European governments and companies reacted with a mix of relief and concern on Monday (July 28th) to the framework trade agreement reached with US President Donald Trump. They acknowledged what they considered an unbalanced deal, but managed to avoid a deeper trade war. The agreement announced Sunday between the two countries, which account for nearly a third of global trade, will see the US impose 15% import tariffs on most EU goods – half the threatened tariffs, but much higher than Europe had hoped. However, many specific details of the deal remain unknown. "While awaiting the full...
A tentative agreement between the United States and China may be a step back from the worst-case scenario of a complete collapse of trade between the world's two largest economies, but it creates more problems than it solves. President Donald Trump has hailed the deal, which is still awaiting final approval from both sides, as a "great deal" that will benefit both countries. While not all the details are known, what has been revealed suggests a deal that will likely hurt both economies and fail to address some pressing issues, such as China's dominance of the rare earths supply chain. The...
US citizens filing new applications for unemployment insurance rose to 248K for the week ending May 31, the US Department of Labor (DOL) reported on Thursday. This was higher than the initial estimate and in line with the previous week's revised count. The report also highlighted the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate at 1.3%, while the four-week moving average rose by 5K to 240.250K from the previous week's revised average. Additionally, Continuing Jobless Claims increased by 54K to 1.956M for the week ending May 24. (alg) Source: FXstreet
US producer prices edged up 0.1% month-over-month in May 2025, following an upwardly revised 0.2% decline in April and compared with a 0.2% increase expected. Goods prices rose 0.2%, with tobacco costs rising 0.9%. Prices for gasoline, processed poultry, roasted coffee, household natural gas, and oilseeds also rose. In contrast, jet fuel prices fell 8.2%. In addition, service costs edged up 0.1%, with the margin for wholesale sales of machinery and vehicles jumping 2.9%. Costs for traveler accommodation services; retail sales of clothing, footwear, and accessories; retail sales of alcohol;...
The UK economy shrank in April following declines in both the services and production sectors, in a month marked by volatile US tariff announcements and higher local taxes. Britain's monthly gross domestic product fell 0.3% in April after rising 0.2% in March, according to data from the Office for National Statistics published Thursday. The latest figure is worse than the expected 0.1% decline, signaling the worst monthly drop in the UK GDP since October 2023. Annually, the British economy grew 0.9%, slowing from the previous 1.1% expansion. In the quarter to April, UK GDP increased 0.7%...
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday said the Trump administration is prepared to "roll the date forward" with trading partners negotiating in good faith if the deadline marking the end of the 90-day pause on President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs is reached with no deal. "It is highly likely that those countries - or trading blocs as is the case with the EU - who are negotiating in good faith, we will roll the date forward to continue the good-faith negotiations," Bessent told the House Ways and Means Committee. "If someone is not negotiating, then we will...
China's official NBS Manufacturing PMI increased to 49.7 in June 2025 from May's 49.5, matching market expectations while marking the third consecutive month of contraction in factory activity.
It...
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovered around the flatline on Friday, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of further developments in trade talks between US President Trump and Chinese...
The United States and European Union have reached a landmark trade agreement that includes a 15% tariff on EU goods entering the U.S., President Donald Trump announced Sunday while in Scotland.
The...