Trade Briefs
Weekly reading on global trade policy, tariffs, supply chains and the forces reshaping international markets.
2026 US Midterms: What a Power Shift Means for the World
The 2026 US midterms are reshaping Washington and rippling across global markets, trade and security. Here is what the world is watching as America votes.
Shipping Chokepoints 2026: The Red Sea's Fragile Return
Suez container capacity is back above half its pre-crisis level while war-risk premia climb. What the shipping chokepoints of 2026 reveal about the trade order.
Export Controls Tighten in the October 2026 Trade Surge
Mid-October 2026 brought the EU's largest Russia sanctions expansion, a paused US secondary-tariff law and China widening its technology export controls.
EUDR Compliance Deadline: Europe's Green Import Gate
From 15 October, every EUDR due diligence statement routes to a national authority. The 30 December 2026 date now holds for forest-risk exporters.
China–ASEAN Agricultural Trade Surges Under FTA 3.0
China–ASEAN farm trade reached $26.7bn in early 2026, powered by durian and smart-border logistics — but GACC Order 280 is rewriting the compliance rulebook.
Tariffs as Statecraft: September 2026's Trade Shock
50% US tariffs on Canada, new 100% authority over Russian and Iranian energy buyers, and an importer crackdown. How global trade rules shifted.