BUSINESS

Trump's Plan to Impose 50% Tariff on Copper Imports Shakes Global Supply Chains

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Title: Trump Imposes 50% Punitive Tariffs on Brazil, Launches Unfair - Trade Probe

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New Zealand Central Bank Pauses Rate Cuts as Recession Risks Loom

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Canada's S&P/TSX Rises 0.35% as Real Estate Leads, Tariff Impact Muted

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Ireland Revises Q1 GDP Down, Germany’s Exports Slide on U.S. Tariff Shifts
Ireland’s CSO sharply revised Q1 GDP growth on July 8: annual expansion was cut to 7.4% from 9.7%, as surging U.S. pharmaceutical exports faded. The more indicative Modified Domestic Demand (MDD) was revised up to 2.0% from 0.8%, though 2024 full-year MDD growth was trimmed to 1.8% from 2.7%. GNI*, stripping multinationals’ distortions, showed 4.8% 2024 growth, highlighting GDP’s skew from cross-border capital flows.
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Japan's Corporate Bankruptcies Hit 11-Year Half-Year High, Pressures Mount
Japan saw 4,990 corporate bankruptcies in H1 2025, up 1.19% year-on-year and the highest H1 tally since 2014. Small businesses bore the brunt: 172 firms collapsed directly due to labor shortages—a record—with 89.8% of failed companies employing fewer than 10 people. They faced a vicious cycle: forced to raise wages but unable to absorb costs, widening the "pay gap" with large corporations.
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Auckland CBD Retail Vacancy Hits 13%, Triple Wellington’s Rate Amid Mixed Pressures
Auckland’s downtown retail vacancy rate stands at 13%, nearly three times Wellington’s 5.3%, driven by overlapping factors. Oversupply plagues areas like Newmarket post-Westfield mall opening, requiring time to absorb excess space, while hybrid work models reduce foot traffic in the city center.
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Canada's S&P/TSX Dips 0.2% as Mining Slides; Energy Gains Offer Partial Offset
Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 0.2% to 26,959.65 on Tuesday, dragged by a 2.4% plunge in mining. Gold producers led declines: SSR Mining (SSRM.TO) dropped 6.1% and Orla Mining (OLA.TO) 6.5%, reflecting global gold price pullbacks.
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UK House Prices Stabilize; Corporate Investment Shifts Toward Britain
UK house prices showed signs of stabilization in June, with Halifax data recording zero month-on-month growth (previous figure revised up to -0.3%) and annual gains edging down to 2.5%. While April’s stamp duty hike dampened activity—prices are slightly lower than late 2023—mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest since 2023. Halifax Mortgages Director Amanda Bladen noted wage growth is supporting market resilience, with two rate cuts expected this year likely to drive modest price recoveries in H2.
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Meta’s Dual Path: Sustaining Social Dominance While Navigating Metaverse and AI Transitions
Meta continues to assert its dominance in the social media realm through platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. However, the rise of TikTok has siphoned off a significant portion of its young user base. In 2023, the company grappled with a staggering loss of over $13 billion in its metaverse division, Reality Labs, even as upgrades to its AI - driven recommendation algorithms and advertising tools spurred a revenue rebound.
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Berkshire Hathaway Under Buffett: Capital Strength and Uncertain Future Horizons
Under the stewardship of Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway has long leveraged insurance float as its core capital, amassing a portfolio of prime assets including Apple and Coca - Cola. In 2023, the company’s cash reserves soared to a record - high $147 billion, a clear signal of its cautious stance amidst perceived market bubbles. This financial positioning reflects Buffett’s time - tested investment acumen, but also stirs questions about the firm’s future direction.
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German Industrial Orders Drop More Than Expected, Clouding Euro Zone Recovery
Germany’s industrial orders fell unexpectedly by 1.4% month-on-month in May, far exceeding the market’s projected 0.1% decline and ending a three-month recovery streak. Weak domestic demand emerged as the primary drag: domestic orders plummeted 7.8%, with the computer and electronics sector crashing 17.7%, while electrical equipment and basic metals industries also contracted.
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UK Stocks Surge for 12 Consecutive Days, Led by Financial Sector, Cryptocurrency Regulation Launched
The UK stock market has witnessed an impressive rally recently. On April 29th, the FTSE 100 index rose 0.6%, achieving a 12 - day winning streak, the longest in five years. Meanwhile, the mid - cap index has climbed for five consecutive days. The financial sector, which saw a 1.9% increase, was the main driver of this upward trend. HSBC Holdings, with a 2.6% gain, led the blue - chips. It benefited from its better - than - expected Q1 profits and a $3 - billion share - buyback plan.
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US Economic Data Highlights: Trade Deficit Hits Record High, Housing Indexes Vary, and CDS Costs Surge
The US economic landscape showed several notable trends in recent data releases. In March, the US merchandise trade deficit ballooned to $162 billion, a 9.6% increase from the previous month and a new all - time high, well above the expected $142 billion. This was mainly driven by businesses "rushing to import" ahead of tariff implementations, which pushed the total import value to $342.7 billion, a 5% year - on - year increase. Consumer goods imports hit a record high, and imports of autos and capital goods also rose significantly.
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Buffett Warns Against Tariff Abuse at Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting
On May 3rd, at the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, the 94 - year - old billionaire investor, expressed his views on the risks of abusing tariffs. He emphasized that "tariffs should not be used as a 'weapon'", and stated that "if other countries become more prosperous, the United States will also become richer".
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UK Stocks Surge with Record - Long Rally, Led by Energy and Finance Sectors
The UK's FTSE 100 index climbed 1.2% on May 2nd, registering its 15th consecutive daily gain and setting a new record for the longest streak of rises in its history. It is now just 3% below its March peak. Global trade tensions have eased, with signs of the US and China reopening negotiations on tariffs, and better - than - expected corporate earnings have boosted market sentiment and risk appetite.
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Japan Clarifies on US Debt and Participates in 10+3 Finance Meeting
On May 5th, Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato clarified in Milan, Italy, that Japan will not use the sale of its $1.3 trillion in US Treasuries as a bargaining chip in US trade negotiations, retracting his previous controversial remarks.
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UK Markets Await Central Bank Decisions Amid Holiday Lull
On May 5, the UK stock market was closed due to a holiday. On Monday, the pound rose against the weakening US dollar. With the UK public holiday causing a lull in market news, all eyes are on the upcoming Bank of England's monetary policy decision later this week. There are no major domestic events before Thursday's Bank of England meeting.
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New Zealand's Trade Shows Positive Signs as Real Estate Market Remains Mixed
On May 5, positive signals emerged in New Zealand's trade sector, with the impact of US - imposed tariffs on agricultural exports proving to be limited. Paul Clark, an economist at Westpac, forecasts that milk prices will remain stable at NZ$10.30 per kilogram this season, potentially edging down to NZ$10 next season, though fluctuations in supply, demand, and exchange rates could still drive prices upward.
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NZ's S&P/NZX 50 Index Rises to Near Two - Month High
On Monday, the S&P/NZX 50 benchmark index in New Zealand climbed 0.8% to 12,421 points, achieving a three - day winning streak and closing at a near two - month high. Driven by the strong performance of transportation - related stocks, this sector benefited from the alleviation of concerns about global supply chain disruptions against the backdrop of the easing of Sino - US trade relations.
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UK Stocks Focus on Central Bank Policies: FTSE 100 Slightly Down 0.2% with Precious Metals Sector Leading the Way
On May 6, the UK's FTSE 100 index closed 0.2% lower at 8,143 points. Investors remained cautious ahead of the interest rate decisions of the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England. The mid - cap index, however, bucked the trend and rose 0.6%, achieving a nine - day winning streak. The precious metals sector soared 5.5% boosted by the gold price. Endeavour Mining (+5.2%) and Fresnillo (+4.7%) led the gains among the blue - chip stocks.
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Is the overseas economy about to have a 'hard landing'?
Is the overseas economy about to have a 'hard landing'?
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