European Union leaders are preparing for a pivotal summit with China next month, aiming to secure improved access to Chinese rare earths and critical minerals. These materials, essential for industries such as automotive manufacturing, defense, and renewable energy production, have increasingly become a focal point in international trade negotiations. China’s dominant position in rare earth production and its tightened export controls have heightened urgency for the EU to diversify supply chains and reduce dependency.

In May, amidst a foggy morning in northern Oklahoma, Dennis Schoenhals led a group of crop scouts through wheat fields, conducting routine health evaluations. Yet, unlike in previous years, many farmers, including Schoenhals, had already decided to forgo harvesting the grain for sale. This decision is a direct consequence of wheat prices falling to five-year lows, compelling producers across the U.S. wheat belt—from Texas to Montana—to alter traditional farming strategies.

As tensions between Iran and Israel intensify following a recent outbreak of hostilities, Tehran has begun adapting its crude oil export tactics to preserve revenue flows despite increased scrutiny. With U.S. sanctions still in force and Israeli military pressure mounting, Iran is leaning on a covert fleet of tankers and strategic repositioning near China to sustain deliveries to its top buyer.

The 2025 Paris Airshow has emerged as a pivotal moment for the global defense industry, where major contractors and disruptive startups showcased a new generation of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) known as "loyal wingmen." These AI-powered combat drones are engineered to operate in tandem with manned fighter aircraft, augmenting capabilities and reducing pilot risk in increasingly contested airspaces.

Elon Musk’s $33 billion acquisition of X (formerly Twitter) via his artificial intelligence venture xAI has attracted renewed attention from European Union regulators. The European Commission, under the Digital Services Act (DSA), is examining whether the restructuring of X’s ownership raises compliance concerns, particularly around content governance, platform accountability, and transparency obligations.

European Union trade officials are increasingly accepting a 10% baseline on reciprocal tariffs as the new reality in negotiations with the United States. Multiple sources close to the matter confirm that U.S. negotiators, under the leadership of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, have made it clear that any final deal must include a floor tariff of no less than 10% on EU goods entering the U.S. market.

In late May, the world’s largest car-carrying ship docked at the port of Itajaí, Brazil, marking more than a symbolic arrival. It carried thousands of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from BYD Co. Ltd. $002594.SZ — China’s largest new energy vehicle (NEV) producer — as part of an aggressive push into emerging markets. For Brazil, the ship’s docking also symbolizes deeper concerns over trade dynamics, industrial policy, and economic sovereignty in the face of surging Chinese auto imports.

The global market for initial public offerings (IPOs) has experienced a significant slowdown in 2025, with activity falling to its lowest level in nearly a decade. According to data from LSEG as of June 17, the total IPO volume worldwide has shrunk by 9.3% year-on-year, reaching only $44.3 billion, the weakest performance since 2016. This slump is attributed to a confluence of adverse factors — including U.S. trade tariffs, persistent equity market volatility, and elevated interest rates — all of which have deterred companies from pursuing listings.

Investor sentiment was rattled on Thursday as central banks in Norway and Switzerland made unanticipated policy moves, adding to the complexity of an already unpredictable global monetary landscape. In a surprising turn, Norges Bank cut its key policy rate, prompting a sharp slide in the Norwegian krone (NOK) against the U.S. dollar (USD) and the euro (EUR). On the same day, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) lowered borrowing costs to 0%, defying expectations of a return to negative interest rates.

Alphabet Inc.’s $GOOGL Google is once again under scrutiny in the European legal arena, as a senior adviser to the European Union’s highest court issued an opinion favoring the European Commission’s landmark 2018 antitrust ruling. This development marks a pivotal moment in Google’s legal battle to overturn a record-breaking €4.34 billion ($4.98 billion) fine for abusing its dominant position in the mobile operating system market through Android.

MicroStrategy Inc. $MSTR has evolved into a publicly traded vehicle for bitcoin $BTCUSD exposure. With a market cap exceeding $100 billion, the company’s valuation is now directly linked to crypto price action and flows from index-based funds.

Amid escalating trade tensions and a global supply glut, Canada is preparing to introduce new tariff measures on steel and aluminum imports. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that these actions are aimed at mitigating the risks posed by unfair trade practices and persistent global overcapacity in the metals sector. The announcement comes on the heels of a significant trade policy shift from the United States, where President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50% earlier this month.