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Because land is scarce, there is a trade-off between protecting the rainforest and using the space for other purposes: building colonies, cattle ranching, gold mining.

Though, land in the rainforest is less scarce than in big cities, which means the price of land is cheaper in the Amazon rainforest.

Full article here.

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Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing business efficiency across various sectors. Online stores use machine learning to analyze browsing behavior, purchase history, and even social media activity. For instance, Amazon’s AI and machine learning algorithms suggest items based on past purchases and viewed products, boosting sales and customer satisfaction. In physical stores, AI-powered kiosks offer custom recommendations and promotions based on shoppers’ preferences detected through loyalty programs or in-store interactions.

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Consumers spend a lot of money on meat and animal products. There is a recent demand for more sustainable food options. This has expanded the market to include these different food options and diets, allowing for more economic choice in the market. As a result of this bigger market is also more sustainable and healthy for individuals and the environment.

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The Impact of a Plant-Based Diet on the Economy — Wesleyan Business Review

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In recent years, there appears to have been a shift towards a more plant-based diet, which has had tremendous economic implications. The reasons that people are increasingly choosing a vegan diet are mostly twofold. Some people choose a vegan diet because they are seeing a decline in their health ul

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The Economic Crisis of Argentina  - From Tony

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Once one of the most of the most wealthy of nations, Argenina is current experiencing a economic crisis due to decades of poor economic policies involving economic isolationism and misallocation of recources.

Despite inflation causing, consumer prices to increase over 100%, and the Argentina Peso plummeting to the point that citizens must buy USD in the black market, the Argentianan government continues to overspend and overallocate recources on things such as welfare instead of infrastructure and technology.

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Rent control is a government intervention for rent prices by setting a price ceiling that sets a maximum allowable rent for landlords to keep housing affordable.

For example, San Francisco's government enforces rent control laws to prevent excessive increases and displacement of tenants. The San Francisco Rent Ordinance limits annual rent increases tied to inflation, while state-level regulations apply to residential units not covered by the ordinance. These measures ensure long-term tenant protection and prevent displacement.

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When the iPhone 15 series was released, there was high demand, and there were various reasons for that. First, there were new features, but the price for the iPhone 15 series was the same as with the 14 series. Which gave the merit and reason for people to purchase it. The second reason was that the season that Apple releases the iPhone is September to October, which is close to holiday season, and this will lead to a higher demand rather than just some random days. Due to high demand, there were some people selling it at higher prices than the original price.

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Donald Trump is escalating his threats to increase tariffs on imports if he wins a second term in the White House, reviving fears of renewed trade wars that hit the global economy during his presidency.

Trump is reviving his “America first” economic agenda as he battles Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for the White House, and has vowed to impose a tariff of up to 20 per cent on all imported goods which are typically passed on to consumers. This increase can disproportionately affect low-income households who spend a larger portion of their income on necessities

If the tariffs are imposed, it can provide short-term benefits to specific industries and generate government revenue, they generally lead to higher consumer prices, reduced choices, and potential long-term economic inefficiencies.

https://www.ft.com/content/ac708b43-64ae-45b8-b60d-997e7904086a

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The Biden administration justified the tariffs by highlighting that Chinese EV manufacturers benefit from substantial government subsidies, enabling them to sell vehicles at lower prices without needing to turn a profit. This creates an uneven playing field for American manufacturer

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Vietnam is a well known country for the massive popularity in motorcycles. While there are many factors that led the Vietnamese citizens to choose the motorcycle, instead of a car, as their transportation, the biggest reason is known to be the low price of the motorcycles. Therefor, the motorcycles holds the traits of an inferior goods, and the cars are considered as the normal goods.

In result, as explained in the law of deman (Income), the economic development in Vietnam has allowed the citizens to choose car as their transportation instead of the motorcycles. To support, the sales of car in Vietnam has tripled only in 13 years, demonstrating shift in demand, but the sales in motorcycles have not shown any significant increases.

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Canada has first introduced 100% tarrifs on Chinese EV to protect domestic industries. However, China contends that these tarrifs are protectionism that violates WTO rules. They believe Canada's recent tarrifs threaten the global trade stability and disrupt supply chains.

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China says it filed an appeal to WTO over Canada’s tariffs on EVs and metals

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Canada announced in August that it would impose 100% import tariffs on China-made EVs.

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The EU has agreed to limit duty-free imports of certain Ukrainian agricultural products in response to protests from farmers. This deal extends tariff exemptions initially granted in 2022 and introduces "safeguards" for specific products to prevent market flooding. The EU's decision comes amid growing discontent among farmers, particularly in Poland, where protests against Ukrainian imports have escalated. This agreement is timely, occurring just months before the European Parliament elections, where farmer grievances could influence voter sentiment.

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EU to cap imports of Ukrainian poultry and grains to appease farmers

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EU member states and lawmakers on Wednesday reached a deal to cap duty-free imports of some Ukrainian grains, which were allowed in the wake of Russia’s invasion but have drawn fierce protests from farmers…

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As production costs increase due to a 20-40% rise in indirect taxes, the company's revenue has decreased by almost 30%, indicating a decrease in the quantity demanded for the beverage.

Producers are grappling with rising input costs as consumption demand declines. Exporters believe that a tax increase in any market conditions could corrupt the beverage industry. The government's response is to give the beverage industry until 2025 before implementing new laws.

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Special consumption tax can hurt beverage industry

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A draft proposal to increase special consumption tax on alcoholic beverages may hurt the Vietnamese beverage industry's ability to compete on their home turf, putting the entire supply chain at risk, said industry insiders.

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During COVID-19, a massive amount of mask factories were opened in Korea, due to a lack of mask supplies in Korea at the start of COVID-19 mask factories came up as a rising business idea, and there were also news reports saying that people who created mask factories have earned lots of money, however as covid-19 seem to resolve the factories started having low profit and led then up to closing their factories.

The demand of the masks had a huge downfall, due to the down fall of demand the factories had to create less supply. less supply means less profit which ended up to cloesing the factories.

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In October 2023, the State Bank of Vietnam raised the reference rate by 0.2%, leading to a significant increase in the foreign exchange rate. This adjustment is attributed to external factors like inflation pressures and global economic shifts. Businesses, particularly in the import-export sector, are concerned about the declining value of the Vietnamese dong. The central bank aims to manage inflation and market stability while balancing economic growth and currency stability. Economists anticipate further adjustments in response to evolving external conditions.

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Foreign exchange rate increases again in October

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According to experts, the exchange rate has increased again due to a recovery of the US dollar price in the international market and a slowdown in Việt Nam’s trade surplus.

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During Trump's presidency, the former president began a crack down on imports of chinese steel by placing large tariffs. These traiff's greatly increased steel prices for companies in the construction sector. Hence, instead of getting cheap Chinese Steel, American corporations pay. This increase change in price (ΔP) greatly reduced the quanitity demanded (ΔQ). Resulting in a demand that is price elastic, A relationship repersented by: %ΔQ > %ΔP.

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Over the past years, Vietnam's economy has been increasing income growth. This has resulted in Hanoi’s total retail sales of goods and consumer services revenue reaching 77.5 trillion, which is 10.7% higher than last year. In 2023, the average income rate was 7.1 million VND, and it is 7.6 million VND in 2024. This is a normal good, where the Income elasticity of demand (YED) is YED > 0.

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Hanoi’s retail sales, services revenue up 9.4% in October

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Hanoi’s total retail sales of goods and consumer services revenue reached 77.5 trillion VND ( over 3 billion USD) in October, up 2.7% month-on-month and 9.4% year-on-year, according to the municipal People’s Committee.

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Businesses concerned about rising exchange rate pressure

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Businesses concerned about rising exchange rate pressure

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Vietnamese businesses are worried about rising exchange rates, especially the USD/VNĐ rate, which is around VNĐ25,485. Despite the State Bank's efforts to stabilize the currency, costs remain high due to global pressures. This is particularly affecting sectors like seafood and beverages, leading companies to seek local sourcing and increase exports. Experts recommend using risk management tools for currency fluctuations and forming domestic partnerships to reduce import reliance.

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Businesses concerned about rising exchange rate pressure

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The sharp increase in the dollar price has caused many domestic companies to face difficulties.

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Minsoo - Government Intervention for Exchange Rate

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Minsoo - Government Intervention for Exchange Rate

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Cuba faces serious depreciation of its currency, the Cuban Peso, which has greatly affected citizens' ability to buy basic goods. The article discusses Cuba's confusing three fixed exchange rates. There is a government, discretionary, and official exchange rate for the dollar. The government plans to intervene and adjust the exchange rate so that there aren't discrepancies between the official and informal exchange rate. In addition, the government plans to increase tariffs which will help to appreciate the Cuban peso by reducing imports. Finally, the article mentions Cuba's efforts in stabilizing its currency by also exchanging petrol for foreign currency which will ultimately help stabilize the economy.

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Cuba’s economic crisis: Will a paradigm shift help? – DW – 01/04/2024

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The Cuban government is set to enact price increases and subsidy cuts after another year of economic woes. But this “correction” could make things worse before they get better.

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U.S. Announce New Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles increasing by 100%

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Tariffs were placed on EVs (electric vehicles) from China by the US in order to protect the US market of EVs. The Biden administration has raised tariffs from 25% to 100%. As tariffs increase, the cost of importing EVs will rise, leading to a decrease in the quantity demanded (affecting PED negatively). Domestic producers will benefit from reduced competition, increasing their supply and market share which could enhance PES in the long run.

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U.S. to Announce New Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles

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The administration could raise tariffs on electric vehicles from China to 100 percent in an attempt to protect American auto manufacturers.

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The governments of Maldives and Turkey have signed a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). This PTA will reduce barriers to trade and increase bilateral trade. The PTA covers products including food and beverages, fish products, materials, and furniture. The Maldives will experience significant tariff reductions on over 100 items including zero tariffs on several fish products, allowing fish exporters to access and expand to the Turkish market. Türkiye is a market with a wide range of consumer and industrial goods, which means that the PTA would directly benefit citizens through lower prices on Turkish consumer goods, wider product choices in the local market, and new job opportunities for workers.

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Maldives, Turkey sign Preferential Trade Agreement to boost bilateral trade ties

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View the most latest, reliable and breaking news today for maldives at raajje.mv

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India has been struggling with a consistent trade deficit, importing much more goods and services then it exports. Notably, the country's trade deficit with China has risen 13% over the fiscal year. Despite the use of protection policies to restrict Chinese imports, India has imported even more drawing concerns of India's dependency on Chinese imports.

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India’s trade deficit with China soars during April-October despite import curbs | Mint

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Chinese imports to India were nearly double that of Russia and about 2.5 times more than imports from the UAE during the period.

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Iran and Tajikistan are working to enhance their bilateral trade relations by speeding up a preferential trade agreement and eliminating visa requirements. During a recent meeting in Tehran, the two leaders discussed the untapped trade potential and the need for closer collaboration between their businesses and firms. Iran's capabilities in various sectors such as engineering, food industries, and information technology were emphasized, while Zohidi noted that trade volume has increased by ten times since 2020, aiming to reach $1 billion.

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Reaching PTA, a prerequisite for boosting Iran-Tajikistan trade

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Iran and Tajikistan have emphasized the need to expedite a preferential trade agreement (PTA) and completely eliminate visa requirements to boost bilateral economic relations, the portal of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) reported.

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The Venezuelan government set a price ceiling for gasoline to tackle the severe economic challenge of hyperinflation. This made fuel more affordable for consumers, but also increased the chances of black market. Since the price of gasoline was easily affordable for residents, particularly in border states like Táchira and Zulia, residents smuggled Venezuela's gasoline to Colombia to sell at a higher price.

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What Is the Real Price of Gasoline In Venezuela?

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There are two officially authorized prices, one for supplying the fuel at a subsidized price, and the other for service stations at international, or dollarized, prices

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Trump had promised to raise tariffs to the tune of 60 per cent or higher on China on the top of levies currently in place. He has already pledged to hike the tariffs by 10 per cent for China’s role in the fentanyl epidemic in the United States.

In recent years, China has not just come to dominate the world in manufacturing but also the supply of critical components for manufacturing, which means that China has a critical place in several industrial supply chains. If and when Trump would mount his tariff war, China would flex its supply chain centrality.

In recent weeks, China blocked US drone major Skydio’s access to batteries made in China which crippled the company’s drone production, affecting its supply to various customers, including the US military.

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China to respond to Trump’s ‘tariff war’ with ‘supply chain war’

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China is expected to use its dominant position in supply chains to respond forcefully with a ‘supply chain war’ to ’tariff war’ that US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to wage on China

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There is the phenomenon of ghost cities in China, highlighting how speculative investments and rapid urbanization have resulted in numerous uninhabited urban areas.Local governments around the country tried to juice and stimulate their economies by building more infrastructure and stimulating the property market. This seemingly wasteful construction is carried out by both state-owned firms and private companies. In result there are 64 million empty apartments.

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‘An incredible amount of waste’: What China’s eerie ghost cities say about its economy

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Fancy villas, high-rise apartment blocks, lakes, parks and sprawling road networks: Ghost cities in China have it all. Just one crucial element is missing — the people.

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Ethiopia has made notable progress in economic growth and poverty alleviation over the past 20 years, largely driven by significant public investments in infrastructure and social initiatives. Nevertheless, this advancement faces threats from current issues such as high inflation, foreign currency shortages, and the effects of climate change. The country's financial system is predominantly publicly owned, featuring policies like minimum reserve requirements, regulated interest rates, and capital controls. While some experts criticize these policies for creating inefficiencies and push for liberalization and austerity measures, Oberholzer and Haylemariam warn that such strategies could compromise Ethiopia's development gains. They advocate for preserving the developmental financial system and introducing focused economic reforms to navigate present challenges, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth.

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Finance, economic stability, and green growth in Ethiopia

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Guest bloggers Basil Oberholzer and Dawit Ayele Haylemariam argue for maintaining Ethiopia’s developmental financial system and implementing economic reforms to address inflation, currency sh…

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Russian exporters are adjusting to a new reported minimum price floor for wheat exports to unofficially at $250 per metric ton FOB, alongside a mandate requiring that sales be conducted exclusively by Russian exporters. This price floor aims to prevent low-priced sales and combat the recent trend of aggressive discounting by new exporters. Before in March 2023, an unofficial price floor was first known to the market at $275 per metric ton FOB.

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Russia sets wheat price floor, urges direct sales as prices hit 3-month high

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Russia sets wheat price floor, urges direct sales as prices hit 3-month high

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Australia is experiencing its most significant decline in living standards since the 1950s, with real disposable income falling by 8.7% since the March 2022 quarter. This decline surpasses those seen during previous recessions, including the inflation crisis of the 1970s and the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation is particularly challenging for the Albanese Government, which promised to lower living costs but now faces mounting household struggles and potential delays in interest rate cuts. Analysts highlight that this unprecedented drop in living standards, the worst among OECD countries, could have serious political repercussions as public discontent grows.

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Australia suffers worst decline in living standards since 1950s - CathNews

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Households are suffering the worst decline in living standards since the 1950s, with the fall in real disposable income eclipsing those of the past four major recessions including the 1970s inflation crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: The Australian.

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The article from CathNews reports that Australia is experiencing its most significant decline in living standards since the 1950s, with real disposable income falling by 8.7% since the March 2022 quarter. This decline surpasses those seen during previous recessions, including the inflation crisis of the 1970s and the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation is particularly challenging for the Albanese Government, which promised to lower living costs but now faces mounting household struggles and potential delays in interest rate cuts. Analysts highlight that this unprecedented drop in living standards, the worst among OECD countries, could have serious political repercussions as public discontent grows.

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Australia suffers worst decline in living standards since 1950s - CathNews

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Households are suffering the worst decline in living standards since the 1950s, with the fall in real disposable income eclipsing those of the past four major recessions including the 1970s inflation crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: The Australian.

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The Epipen is medication that can help decrease your body's allergic reaction, however, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, the company producing EpiPen significantly increased its prices from $100 to $608 for a two-pack. But with an increase of 600% in price, there were no alternative goods for Epipen, which meant the patients had to accept the price and purchase it to protect their life. This situation showed the failure of the free market to regulate monopolistic behavior and that created the insufficient prices for essential goods.

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In the Philippines, the inflation of the market has eased after placing high interest rates on the market. However, while inflation reduced and the price stabilized, the economic growth was lower than the expected. Therefore, the Philippine Bank decided to cut interest rate in the hope of increasing aggregate demand, resulting in economic growth.

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Turkey's central bank hiked its key interest rate to 46 percent on Thursday after a month of protests over the arrest of Istanbul's opposition mayor and economic uncertainty provoked by US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs.

Because of the tariff the SRAS has been increased, so that monetary policy is tightened to decrease AD.

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Turkish central bank raises interest rate to 46 percent

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Turkey’s central bank hiked its key interest rate to 46 percent on Thursday after a month of protests over the arrest of Istanbul’s opposition mayor and economic uncertainty provoked by US President…

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The Vietnamese government has imposed an expansionary fiscal policy by lowering the VAT percentage. This increases aggregate demand by encouraging consumption, this increases spending because consumers face lower prices. Therefore, increasing economic growth.

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Government proposes 2-pp VAT reduction on select goods and services until 2026

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A 2-percentage-point reduction in the value-added tax (VAT) for goods and services will lead to a decrease in state revenue by approximately 121.74 trillion VND (over 4.69 billion USD) over the proposed period. This includes an estimated 39.54 trillion VND in the second half of 2025 and 82.2 trillion VND in 2026.

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Germany's unemployment has increased to 6.4% at the start of 2025. Therefore, 11,000 more people have became unemployed from December to January, summing to nearly 2.993 million unemployed individuals, which is a rise of 187,000 compared to the previous year. Factors that have caused the rise are seasonal job losses and cyclical unempolyment. Many temporary contracts have ended, and weather-dependent jobs are less available during winter. Manufacturing downturn and productivity crisis have also caused cyclical unemployment.

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Germany’s unemployment rate rises to highest level in almost a decade

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A rise in the jobless rate is normal for this time of year, although the scale of the jump points to underlying economic weakness.

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Vietnam is facing a host of challenges as its people would grow old before getting rich. The National Assembly and the Government have issued new policies on social benefits and employment to ensure income for elderly people. Social assistance policies aimed at supporting the elderly without pensions often provide only minimal aid, insufficient to fully cover their income gaps. The ministry has included a specific section dedicated to employment support for the elderly. Accordingly, older laborers who are still capable and willing to work will receive state assistance in training, certification of national vocational skills, employment counseling, job seeking, and access to loans.

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Vietnam must tackle elderly employment, aging, and wealth inequality

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As one of the fastest-aging countries in the world, Vietnam is facing a host of challenges as its people would grow old before getting rich.

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Government intervention on income inequality. 

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Government intervention on income inequality. 

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In recent years, Sweden has faced rising income inequality and increased cost of living, which particularly affecting families, young adults and immigrants. A key issue has been housing affordability, especially in urban areas where rent prices have rised. In response, the Swedish government introduced the housing allowance (Bostadsbidrag), a means-tested subsidy helping low-income households to cover rent. Additionally, growing concerns over child poverty led to the continuation and expansion of the child allowance (Barnbidrag), supporting all families with children regardless of income. For long-term unemployment, the government provides subsidized job placements. These interventions aim to promote equity and reduce relative poverty.

4o

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The new ‘people’s home’: how Sweden is waging war on inequality

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Despite its reputation as one of the world’s most socially equal countries, even Sweden has had to tackle a widening gap between the haves and have-nots

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Passes in a 215-214 vote

Would add $3.8 trillion to the US debt

Would cut green-energy incentives, fund Trump deportation push

tax on public goods

increase the income gap- make rich people more rich

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Passes in a knife-edge 215-214 vote, two Republicans vote no, one falls asleep

Would add $3.8 trillion to the US debt, stirring investor concern

Would cut green-energy incentives, fund Trump deportation push

WASHINGTON, May 22 (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a sweeping tax and spending bill by a single vote which would enact much of President Donald Trump's policy agenda and saddle the country with trillions of dollars more in debt.

The bill would fulfill many of Trump's populist campaign pledges, delivering new tax breaks on tips and car loans and boosting spending on the military and border enforcement. It will add about $3.8 trillion to the federal government's $36.2 trillion in debt over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Sign up here.

"This is arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!" Trump wrote on social media.

The package passed in a 215-214 vote after a marathon push that kept lawmakers debating the bill through two successive nights.

All of the chamber's Democrats and two Republicans voted against it, while a third Republican voted "present", neither for nor against the bill. Another Republican missed the vote because he was asleep.

With a narrow 220-212 majority, House Speaker Mike Johnson could not afford to lose more than a handful of votes from his side, and he made several last-minute changes to satisfy various Republican factions.

"The House has passed generational, truly nation-shaping legislation," Johnson said.

What Trump has dubbed a "big, beautiful bill" now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it will likely be changed further during weeks of debate.

The 1,100-page bill would extend corporate and individual tax cuts passed in 2017 during Trump's first term in office, cancel many green-energy incentives passed by Democratic former President Joe Biden and tighten eligibility for health and food programs for the poor. It also would fund Trump's crackdown on immigration, adding tens of thousands of border guards and creating the capacity to deport up to 1 million people each year. Regulations on firearm silencers would be loosened.

The bill passed despite growing concerns over the U.S. debt, which has reached 124% of GDP, prompting a downgrade of the United States' top-notch credit rating by Moody's last week.

The U.S. government has recorded budget deficits every year of this century, as Republican and Democratic administrations alike have failed to bring spending into alignment with revenue.

Interest payments accounted for 1 out of every 8 dollars spent by the U.S. government last year, more than the amount spent on the military, according to the CBO. That share is due to grow to 1 out of every 6 dollars over the next 10 years as an aging population pushes up the government's health and pension costs, even if Trump's budget bill is not taken into account.

'SETTING A COURSE FOR THE ICEBERG'

Investors, unnerved by the country's worsening fiscal position and Trump's erratic tariff moves, have been selling off U.S. assets that make up the bedrock of the global financial system. The dollar has fallen more than 10% since January while yields on 30-year Treasury bonds, a proxy for long-term U.S. government borrowing costs, have reached their highest level since October 2023.

Two out of the three major U.S. stock indexes opened lower on Thursday, while the Nasdaq opened slightly higher. Solar energy stocks that benefit from green-energy subsidies targeted by the bill were especially hard hit.

"We're not rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic tonight. We're putting coal in the boiler and setting a course for the iceberg," said Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the two Republicans to vote against the bill.

The growing debt has paradoxically given urgency for Republicans to pass the bill, as it would raise the federal government's debt ceiling by $4 trillion. That would avert the prospect of a default, which officials have warned could otherwise come sometime this summer.

Republicans have also argued that failure to pass the bill would mean an effective tax hike for many Americans, as Trump's 2017 tax cuts are due to expire at the end of the year.

Hardliners on the party's right flank had pushed for deeper spending cuts to lessen the budget impact, but they met resistance from centrists who worried that would fall too heavily on the 71 million low-income Americans enrolled in the Medicaid health program.

Johnson made changes to address conservatives' concerns, pulling forward new work requirements for Medicaid recipients to take effect at the end of 2026, two years earlier than before. That would kick several million people off the program, according to the CBO. The bill also would penalize states that expand Medicaid in the future.

Johnson also expanded a deduction for state and local tax payments, which was a priority for a handful of centrist Republicans who represent high-tax states like New York and California. The new limit of $40,000 would overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest households, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Republicans also changed the name of the bill's tax-free savings accounts for children to "Trump Accounts".

Democrats blasted the bill as disproportionately benefiting the wealthy while cutting benefits for working Americans. The CBO found it would reduce income for the poorest 10% of U.S. households and boost income for the top 10%.

"This bill is a scam, a tax scam designed to steal from you, the American people, and give to Trump's millionaire and billionaire friends," Democratic Representative Jim McGovern said.

Reporting by David Morgan, Bo Erickson and Andy Sullivan; writing by Andy Sullivan, Editing by Scott Malone and Toby Chopra

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Andy covers politics and policy in Washington. His work has been cited in Supreme Court briefs, political attack ads and at least one Saturday Night Live skit.

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US House narrowly passes Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill, sends on to Senate

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The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a sweeping tax and spending bill by a single vote which would enact much of President Donald Trump's policy agenda and saddle the country with trillions of dollars more in debt.

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Jakarta's Water Scarcity Problem - From Timmy

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In West Jakarta’s, clean tap water is extremely unreliable constantly shutting off for up to two days. This scarcity forces residents to rely on marked up bottled water. While parts of central and southern Jakarta enjoy reliable and cheap piped water, many northern and western neighborhoods still struggle with limited access, this shows the inequalities in the city’s water distribution and how scarcity can affect daily life.

Full article

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Verifying you are human. This may take a few seconds.

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Thomas Prins - 10.03 - Japan's Rice Scarcity

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As the supply of the rice is limited in Japan, their is a balance of stockpiling rice for food security against fulfilling day-to-day requirement for consumption. Japan therefore has the choice of importing additional rice, using stockpiles, or limiting exports. These policies each have their own affects as prices rise for families, the government pays more in imports, and farmers stress. Even though rice remains in Japan, shortage drives up prices, reducing spending power of the household for anything else.

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Japan’s rice crisis sparks debate over food security and identity

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Amid severe shortages and pressure from Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs”, Japan is under unprecedented pressure to eat more foreign rice. Here’s why that’s controversial.

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Spain’s economy keeps growing — why is the country doing so well? - Nguyen G11.03

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This article talks about the current success and uprise of Spain's economy due to tourism, foreign investment and immigration. Spain's GDP is expected to rise by 2.5% this year compared to it's European neighbours with an expected GDP rise of not even 1%. Apart from the surge in Spain's economy, the article also presents issues such as rising cost of living, divided political scene, climate change and more. Near the final 3rd of the article, Spain's investment in green energy is mentioned, and Spain's benefitting from low energy costs was also mentioned. This article connects to change due to the article mentioning how Spain's GDP has changed to evolved while also mentioning how it's challenges are changing to be more concerning.

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Spain’s economy keeps growing — why is the country doing so well?

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A booming tourism sector, foreign investment and immigration are among the main pillars supporting economic growth in Spain.

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Historic drought, wheat shortage to test Syria’s new leadership - Jayden 11.02

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Syria is facing its worst drought in over 6 decades, and it's had severe consequences for the agricultural sector, specifically in terms of wheat. The drought has led to a decrease of over 30% in irrigated wheat production, and damage to almost all rainfed wheat crops. This amounts to a deficit in wheat production of over 2.5 million tons, affecting approximately 16 million people. The Syrian government must now choose between importing wheat at a significant cost or focusing on more drought-resistant crops.

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Historic drought, wheat shortage to test Syria’s new leadership

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Syria faces a potential food crisis after the worst drought in 36 years slashed wheat production by around 40%.

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Hershey and other chocolate makers hike prices as cocoa remains near record highs - Jihong Min 11.02

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In the west part of Africa, the cocoa production, a supplier of over 60% of the world’s chocolate, is facing the worst crisis. Extreme weather conditions and fungal diseases have cut coca yields by up to 40% in Ghana and Ivory Coast.  Global prices of chocolate will more than double in 2024-2025, forcing chocolate factories like Hershey and Nestle to raise prices or to shrink the product sizes. While the consumers worldwide pay more for the chocolates, many of the cocoa farmers still earn less than $1 a day highlighting the scarcity of cocoa and the inequalities in global supply chains. This problem leaves the government to make a choice to either invest in sustainable farming or risk further supply collapse and environmental damage as farmers clear new land.

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Here's the good news: The Hershey Co. says it's not raising prices for Halloween candy this year.

But here's the bad news: Hershey and other chocolate makers are continuing to hike prices, saying a volatile cocoa market gives them no choice.

Hershey, the maker of Reese's, Whoppers, barkThins and other chocolate candies, said Wednesday that it will be raising U.S. retail prices later this fall. In some cases, pack sizes will get smaller; in others, list prices will rise. The average price increase will be in the low double-digit percentages.

"This change is not related to tariffs or trade policies. It reflects the reality of rising ingredient costs including the unprecedented cost of cocoa," Hershey said in a statement.

Hershey stressed that the price increases won't apply to products specially packaged for Halloween.

On Tuesday, Swiss chocolatier Lindt said it raised prices by 15.8% in the first half of this year. The company said it was able to offset some of the higher cost of cocoa with long-term contracts but had to pass much of it on to consumers.

"The development of the global chocolate market in the first half of 2025 was a continuation of what we saw in 2024, with cocoa prices remaining close to record highs," said Adalbert Lechner, Lindt's CEO, in a conference call with investors.

Cloetta, a Swedish confectionary company, told investors last week that it raised chocolate prices in the second quarter. And raised U.S. prices for products like Toll House chocolate chips in the spring.

Cocoa prices have more than doubled over the past two years due to poor weather and disease in West Africa, which supplies more than 70% of the world's cocoa.

Cocoa futures, which are binding contracts for a specific quantity of cocoa, stood at $7,380 per metric ton on Wednesday, according to the International Cocoa Organization, which releases a daily average of prices in London and New York.

That's down from December's peak of $11,984, but it's still 121% higher than two years ago.

And the situation remains volatile. According to the International Cocoa Organization, prices surged in early June on concerns about production in Ivory Coast but eased on optimistic forecasts for production in Ghana and Latin America. They rose again in late June after heavy rains in West Africa, which could worsen the outbreak of diseases that harm crops.

"It's almost a bit dangerous to comment on this because it's changing so fast," Cloetta Chief Financial Officer Frans Ryden said last week in a conference call with investors. "This is something that's moving hugely up and down all the time."

Meanwhile, prices have been rising on store shelves. The average unit price of a chocolate bar in the U.S. in July 2021 was $2.43, according to Nielsen IQ, a market research company. As of last week, it was $3.45, a 41% increase.

That's hurting customer demand. Nielsen said unit sales of chocolate fell 1.2% in the year ending July 12.

Tariffs could also impact U.S. prices. President Donald Trump threatened a 21% tariff on cocoa and other products from Ivory Coast in April, for example, but then paused the tariffs' implementation.

The National Confectioners Association is asking the Trump administration to protect cocoa from tariffs. The group says the U.S. imports nearly $4.4 billion in chocolate, cocoa and candies each year, and the association's members export nearly $2 billion in American-made chocolates and candy annually.

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Hershey and other chocolate makers hike prices as cocoa remains near record highs

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Here's the good news: The Hershey Company says it's not raising prices for Halloween candy this year.

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South Korea's policy push springs to life as world's lowest birthrate rises - Aiden Lee G11.03

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This article talks about the current South Korean birthrate. Over the past 10 years, Korea has had one of the lowest birth rates; therefore, the company called "Booyoung" decided to give $70,000 for the childbirth bonus. From 2015 to 2023, the birthrate increased by about 0.72 ~ 0.75%. After the pandemic, the birth rate started to increase, rising 11% after the pandemic. However, this data is also the lowest birthrate; therefore, the company decided to give 10 more vacation days for the child. This article connects to scarcity due to the article mentioning how the seriously low birthrate can give challenges and solutions for this issue.

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Car Companies Are Paying Tariffs So You Don’t Have To - Giang

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Trump’s tariff on importing overseas, especially carmakers has relatively increased the price of cars within the US and caused a decline in car companies’ profits. Trump’s high tariffs aim to relocate assembly lines to the United States from other countries. However, the sinking profits create challenges for what Trump wants them to do, because companies will have less money to invest in new factories and equipment. In conclusion, the change in the economy will eventually showcase how economies adapt and evolve over time.

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Vietnam is facing challenges with both surplus and shortage of workers. While there is an oversupply of low-skilled workers (taking up 70% of the workforce) who lack formal training, there is also a shortage of skilled professionals, particularly in technical and managerial roles. This issue largely comes from an education system that over emphasizes theory over practical skills, leaving many if not most graduates unprepared for the demands of the job in the market. As a result, businesses struggle to find qualifies talents despite offering competitive salaries, while a large portion of the workforce remains unemployed. Therefore, addressing this imbalance requires reforms in education, increased investments in practical training, and a stronger focus on skill development.

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Textile workers at Tainan Vietnam Company in Long An Province. VNA/VNS Photo

While Việt Nam is aiming at developing high-quality human resources, the country's labour market has a shortage of skilled and experienced workers.

Experts pointed out that the shortage has significantly affected the labour productivity increases.

Human resources are considered the most important asset of a country and investment in people is always a must in the nation's socio-economic development.

Highly-skilled human resources help improve production efficiency, minimise waste and optimise work processes. Highly skilled experts and engineers are capable of developing new products, improving processes, creating added value for businesses and the economy. This is an important factor in attracting foreign investment, helping Việt Nam become an attractive destination for investors.

However, in 2023, just 27 per cent of Vietnamese workers were trained or had degrees and certifications. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs estimates that 38 million workers nationwide were still untrained by the end of 2023.

Compared to many nations in the region, Việt Nam's labour productivity is lower due to the level of education of its trained workforce, which is primarily equivalent to junior high school.

Approximately 75 per cent of workers are enrolled in primary training that lasts less than three months.

Associate Professor Đinh Trọng Thịnh at the Academy of Finance, said foreign investors to Việt Nam seek out native human resources with high levels of management and administration skills in both production and business.

Even if they pay well and offer good working conditions, finding highly skilled employees is still exceedingly challenging. For many years, enterprises and huge companies in the nation have struggled to find a high-quality staff, he said.

According to Thịnh, producing high-quality employees requires a blend of theoretical instruction and hands-on management activities, particularly employee self-improvement and self-study.

"Education and training must adapt to the current curriculum and the times. Employees must retrain the majority of graduates. School-based training is crucial, but it just covers theory. Workers must self-study and enhance their qualifications and skills to adapt to particular occupations in order to stay competitive, he told Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

Dr Đinh Việt Hòa, chairman of the National Start-up Association, said the Vietnamese labour force has experienced both surplus and scarcity for a long time.

He claimed that Việt Nam lacks high-quality human resources, using Long Thành Airport Group as an example of a company that struggles to find such workers while paying up to half a billion đồng a month.

In contrast to this situation, Việt Nam is confronted with a surplus of unskilled human resources. Each year, millions of people graduate. Instead of giving students the chance to obtain real-world experience, universities mostly concentrate on academic instruction, he said.

According to him, graduates are only able to fulfill the fundamental needs of many companies.

With 99 per cent of them under 40, the majority of Vietnamese businesses are young. Enterprises mostly focus on creating service elements as well as production for each topic that are simple in nature, do not require high intellectual resources, leading to the lack of opportunities for Vietnamese human resources to enhance skills, he said.

Businesses must encourage human resource training within their own organisations in order to get past current constraints. High-quality human resources can fully satisfy the demands of foreign firms, which pay salaries that are far greater than those of Vietnamese businesses, if they also match the expectations of local employers, he said.

In order to meet the demands of human resources and capacity, as well as to gradually close the gap between supply and demand, universities should provide training based on business orders and consumer wants, he said.

He recommended Vietnamese workers should also focus more on training, foreign language proficiency and communication skills development in order to increase their professional working capacity and have more opportunities to obtain practical experience. - VNS

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Vietnam's labour force experiences both surplus and scarcity

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Compared to many nations in the region, Vietnam's labour productivity is lower, due to the level of education of its trained workforce, which is primarily equivalent to junior high school.

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The Colorado River Basin is an example of scarcity. While the Colorado River Basin is a vital resource for over 40 million people across seven U.S. states and Mexico, its water supply is limited due to prolonged drought worsened by climate change. This crisis is a result of several factors. A 1922 compact,  known as the "Law of the River," was based on an overestimation of the river's water supply. This has led to an unsustainable situation where the river is consistently over-allocated. In addition, a two-decade-long drought and rising temperatures, both exacerbated by climate change, have further reduced water availability. These factors have caused the water levels in major reservoirs, such as Lake Mead, to drop significantly.

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The Colorado River crisis: Water shortages, climate change, and sustainable management

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The Colorado River faces challenges from overallocation, climate change, and rising demand, but ongoing conservation efforts, innovative management strategies, and collaboration are helping to ensure its sustainability for the millions who depend on it.

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Title: Vietnam’s central bank sells $1.5 bln to stabilize currency: broker MBS

Yesterday, the Vietnamese centrial bank sold $1.5 bln to ease pressure on the Vietnamese dong. This action came after a 1.4% decrease from early August due to expectation of rate cuts and volatile politcal landscape.

The sale was initally effective as it increased the VND per USD.

"We forecast the average USD/VND exchange rate to range between VND26,600-26,750 in 2025, marking a 4.5-5% increase from the start of the year,”

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The introduction to the brand new iPhone 17 generated some excitement due to its new features and Apple's strong brand loyalty. The high demand is explained from customer's willingness to buy at this certain price. For example: pre order stats, where it is often shown that newer models sell out immediately, displaying customer interest. Additionally, having the newer models of the iPhone can sometimes be seen as a status symbol, often indicating whether a person is wealthy or not, which can increase demand as people want to attain the latest model to align with this norm. Finally, apple's marketing and advertisement strategies can create excitement for the new iPhone/product launches. Influencing the consumers to purchase the latest model.

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In 2025, the lithium battery market faces a complex supply-demand situation. Despite earlier oversupply and price drops, recent production cuts in major lithium mining regions are tightening supply. This is driven by a slower-than-expected EV adoption rate in some regions like Europe and the US, combined with strong demand growth in China, the world’s largest EV market. The lithium supply chain remains fragile due to long mining project timelines, geographic concentration in Australia and South America, and environmental concerns like water scarcity. This imbalance is pushing manufacturers to seek alternatives and expand recycling efforts, all while global lithium demand is expected to nearly quintuple by 2030 fueled by the EV revolution.

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Trump's tariffs have significantly raised the cost of imported goods, leading to higher consumer prices and increased production costs for industries such as airlines and consumer good importers, and sectors that rely on imports like electronics and semiconductors. By July 2025, the tariff had generated about $124 billion in revenue for the US government. Tariff rates vary ranging from 15 percent on Japan and the European Union to 50 percent on Brazil.

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What has been the impact of Trump’s tariffs so far?

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Trump’s tariffs have raised costs, driven up prices, hit key industries, and brought in $124bn ahead of August 1.

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Since 2024, there has been a Cocoa Crisis where a sharp decrease in supply from major producers like Ivory Coast and Ghana lead to cocoa prices increasing to historic highs. Specifically, extreme weather, crop diseases, and aging trees reduced supply while farmers struggled to afford replanting and fertilizers. As a result of the shortage, consumer prices increased.

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shortage of housing in hcmc - Tom Nguyen 

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shortage of housing in hcmc - Tom Nguyen 

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There is a shortage of housing in HCMC, more specifically lower class apartments for the working class and for lower-middle income families in HCMC. The government failed to reach their target of having 226k+ apartments from 2021-2025, having only met 24% of their target goal, therefore leaving a shortcoming of 180k units. There are also too many expensive apartments which doesn't work in favor of the consumers that are demanding cheaper, lower class apartments. This leads to prices rising due to demand rising with fixed supply.

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In the U.S. in 2025, beef and cattle prices have reached record highs as ground beef recently sold at around $6.32 per pound, and overall beef prices rose up to 13.9% year over year. This happened largely because of a tight supply. There are fewer cows due to frequent droughts and restrictions on cattle imports, so farmers cannot sell as much beef. However, demand remained strong as consumers are still willing to buy beef even at high price levels. This situation illustrates the law of supply: when supply decreases, price goes up, ceteris paribus. It could also potentially show the law of demand can be tested: if prices rise enough, some consumers might cut back, but so far that hasn’t happened significantly in this market.

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On Friday October 10th, 2025, Donald Trump would announce that he would put extra 100% tariff on Chinese imports and "over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying" starting on November 1st, 2025. This announcement came after he threatened to add a massive increase of tariffs on all Chinese imports in retaliation for new controls that China imposed on exports of rare earth minerals from that nation. Nearly every products that is imported into the U.S. from China faces deep tariffs. (Example: 50% on steel and alluminum and 7.5% on consumer goods from China)

Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on U.S imports before this before by imposing 10% reciprocal tariffs on imports globally and U.S what was known was "Liberation Day" in early April 2025 and it targeted major U.S trading partners, with many countries being charged and taxed for obtaining imported goods from the U.S.

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Trump puts extra 100% tariff on China imports, adds export controls on ‘critical software’

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President Trump retaliated against China’s export controls on rare earths after suggesting he also would cancel a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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outh Africa’s cigarette market. Between 1961 and 1991, the government kept excise taxes low, resulting in a 45% decline in real cigarette prices. As prices dropped, cigarette consumption rose dramatically—by nearly 245%—showing that cigarettes were price elastic in that period, as PED: 5.44. This high elasticity occurred because cigarettes during that period were relatively affordable and not heavily taxed, making them a non-essential good for many consumers. However, when taxes increased by about 535% after 1991, prices rose by around 245%, and cigarette consumption fell by roughly 43%. This demonstrated that as the product became more expensive, consumers significantly reduced their purchases.

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One clear real-life example of price elasticity of demand can be seen in South Africa’s cigarette market. Between 1961 and 1991, the government kept excise taxes low, which caused real cigarette prices to fall by about 45%. As prices dropped, cigarette consumption rose dramatically—by nearly 245%—showing that cigarettes were price elastic in that period, as PED=5.44. However, when taxes increased by about 535% after 1991, prices rose by around 245%, and cigarette consumption fell by roughly 43%. This demonstrated that as the product became more expensive, consumers significantly reduced their purchases. This high elasticity occurred because cigarettes during that period were relatively affordable and not heavily taxed, making them a non-essential good for many consumers.

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Coffee prices in the U.S. are rising quickly, now averaging $9.14 per pound in September—up 3% from August and 41% from last year. This increase has led coffee shop owners like Nikki Bravo to raise their prices by 15% because their costs for beans and supplies have gone up.

Several factors are causing these price hikes, including tariffs on coffee imported from Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam, which are reducing supply. Additionally, climate change and bad weather have hurt coffee production worldwide.

To address these issues, a bipartisan group in Congress has suggested a bill to remove these tariffs, saying they are harmful to consumers.

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The article discusses the rapid expansion of powerful GLP-1 weight-loss drugs from rich nations into large, populous emerging markets, especially India and China. Although the current price of the product in India, for example, is only one-third of the US price, its proportion relative to the country's income is still high. Therefore, it is considered a luxury good in India, where consumer demand tends to be more elastic. The new medications they are developing will be significantly cheaper, priced at about a third of the cost.

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Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ypcSzgfWffFz5H1aWmRAp130XOjewvN2vNoUZ1mt0lk/present?slide=id.p

The article discusses how Vietnam has begun a directive to address Hanoi's air pollution, which sees to cease all fossil-fueled vehicles on Hanoi's ring roads by 2030. The reason is due to the fact that an estimate of 60% of air pollution comes from the diesel and gas vehicles. To help ensure the directive takes place, local authorities call on electric vehicle suppliers to provide support for vehicle replacements, as well as price subsidies. This allows electric vehicles to be produced more, and cheaper availability to customers, and on top of the new directive beginning to take place, all incentivizes to get an electric vehicle.

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Illustrative photo (Dinh Hieu)

Local authorities plan to call on electric vehicle suppliers to provide support for vehicle replacement and offer price subsidies to customers.

The Government Portal on July 15 held a seminar discussing solutions to Hanoi's environment and residents' health protection, organized after Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued a directive on urgent tasks to address environmental pollution.

The directive requires Hanoi to ensure no fossil fuel-powered motorbikes or scooters operate on Ring Road 1 by July 1, 2026. By January 1, 2028, no fossil fuel-powered motorbikes and scooters, and only a limited number of gasoline-powered personal cars, will operate on Ring Roads 1 and 2. From 2030, this will extend to Ring Road 3.

At the seminar, Duong Duc Tuan, Hanoi Vice Mayor, shared insights on the capital's environmental issues following the Prime Minister's Directive 20.

Tuan said that Hanoi's pollution is threatening public health and posing challenges to the city's development goals.

"Air pollution is a significant challenge for Hanoi. And one major cause is transport vehicles using gasoline and diesel. The modern trend is shifting to electricity and gas. Public transport like buses, urban railways, and high-speed railways are moving toward clean energy," Tuan said.

He added that Directive 20 highlights the urgency of environmental protection, requiring decisive action.

Hanoi currently has about 1 million cars and 6.9 million motorbikes. Experts estimate that gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles, especially motorbikes, contribute to around 60 percent of air pollution. About 70 percent of these are old motorbikes, with limited emissions control.

Tuan said that Hanoi had issued multiple measures to ensure a feasible transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to green vehicles.

The city will study and issue solutions, including ways to support residents within Ring Road 1 to switch from gasoline-powered motorbikes to electric ones. Hanoi also has called on electric vehicle suppliers to assist residents with vehicle trade-ins and price subsidies.

The city also offers preferential policies on registration fees, license plate fees, and parking fees for electric cars and motorbikes.

The city is changing into a multi-modal public transport system. This network is widespread, connecting key areas, along with infrastructure serving clean energy vehicles such as electric charging stations and electric vehicle support services.

For new urban areas, planning for green and clean means of transport will be done. "The planning not only involves one company but many companies. And there are models that we have learned from many companies to build, such as on-site battery charging stations. There is no monopoly," he said.

Hanoi is focusing on ensuring safety for electric vehicle users such as battery charging, fire prevention and rescue work.

Following the Prime Minister's directive to eliminate fossil fuel-powered motorbikes and scooters within Ring Road 1 by July 1, 2026, Hanoi has established an inter-agency task force to address this issue.

Talking to the press, Tuan said that the city will provide maximum support to the right groups of users, ensuring convenience for residents living within the Ring Road 1, or frequently traveling to the area.

Hanoi is considering supporting the trade-in of about 450,000 gasoline-powered motorbikes within Ring Road 1.

Support policies will be developed based on a thorough review of user groups and vehicle types. The city will report to the City Party Committee and submit to the People's Council for consideration and promulgation of a policy to support most of the costs related to the conversion, such as registration fees and new electric vehicle registration fees.

Alongside personal vehicle conversion policies, Hanoi is investing in green transport infrastructure to meet residents' mobility needs. The city plans to increase small electric buses (8-12 seats) and four-seat electric vehicles for inner-city transport within Ring Road 1.

Urban railway lines will also be accelerated, with the Cat Linh - Ha Dong and Nhon -Hanoi Station lines already serving this area, and the Ho Tay - Hoa Lac and Nam Thang Long - Tran Hung Dao lines to follow.

In the immediate time, the city prioritizes setting charging stations at static transport points, parking lots, and residential buildings

Currently, Hanoi operates 45 subsidized bus routes within Ring Road 1, including 11 electric bus routes with 126 clean energy buses, serving nearly 6,500 trips daily with frequencies of 5-20 minutes per trip.

From 2025 to 2030, the city plans to fully convert buses to green energy and open 27 new electric bus routes, adding approximately 400 vehicles.
Dinh Hieu

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hanoi seeks price subsidies from ev firms for gasoline vehicle owners

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Hanoi seeks price subsidies from EV firms for gasoline vehicle owners

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Following the Prime Minister's directive, Hanoi is planning to reduce gasoline and diesel-powered cars and motorbikes.

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Earlier this year, on January, Spain had faced a serious housing shortage, especially in cities like Madrid and tourist areas such as Ibiza. Rent prices have skyrocketed as many landlords turn homes into tourist rentals, leaving fewer options for local residents. In order to address this, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez proposed new government interventions, including a 100% property tax on non-EU foreigners buying homes, higher taxes on tourist apartments, and subsidies and tax breaks for landlords who rent at lower prices. These actions are examples of government intervention in markets. More specifically, government’s effort to control housing demand and support affordability for the domestic customers though some people argue that the real issue (the low housing supply) remains unresolved.

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This article discusses a new U.S.-China trade agreement that aims to ease tensions from their recent trade war. China will lift export restrictions on automotive computer chips, which had caused major supply chain disruptions. The agreement also includes steps to resume U.S. soybean exports to China, pause Chinese export controls on rare earth minerals, and address the fentanyl trade. This shows how trade effects one sector and by reopening supply chains and restoring export markets that had been restricted during the trade war.

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China will begin easing an export ban on automotive computer chips vital to production of cars across the world as part of a trade deal struck between the US and China, the White House has said.

The White House confirmed details of the deal in a new fact sheet after Xi Jinping and Donald Trump met in South Korea this week.

The nations also reached agreements on US soybean exports, the supply of rare earth minerals, and the materials used in production of the drug fentanyl.

The deal de-escalates a trade war between the world's two largest economies after Trump hit China with tariffs after he entered office this year, leading to rounds of retaliatory tariffs and global business uncertainty.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told the BBC that details of the agreements reached had been shared by "competent authorities".

"China-US economic and trade relations are mutually beneficial in nature," he said.

"As President Xi Jinping noted, the business relationship should continue to serve as the anchor and driving force for China-US relations, not a stumbling block or a point of friction."

Speaking on Sunday following the release of the deal details, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN: "We don't want to decouple from China... (But) they've shown themselves to be an unreliable partner."

Much of what is in Saturday's fact sheet was announced by Trump and other officials following the meeting between the two leaders.

Trump had described the talks, held in South Korea, as "amazing", while Beijing had said they had reached a consensus to resolve "major trade issues".

One of the issues addressed in the deal was the export of automotive computer chips. There had been concern that a lack of chips from Nexperia, which has production facilities in China, could create global supply chain issues.

Nexperia is a Chinese-owned company, but is based in the Netherlands. About 70% of Nexperia chips made in Europe are sent to China to be completed and re-exported to other countries.

The fact sheet states that China will "take appropriate measures to ensure the resumption of trade from Nexperia's facilities in China, allowing production of critical legacy chips to flow to the rest of the world".

It follows Beijing saying on Saturday that it was considering exempting some firms from the ban.

Firms are still scrambling to find out what it means for them, said Sigrid De Vries, director general of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

"The Chinese authorities have said they would start exporting eligible chips again, that they're investigating and making lists of companies ...but the scope and the conditions are as yet unclear," she told the BBC's Today programme.

She added that China easing the automotive chip ban was positive news because "supply shortages were imminent".

But she warns "they are still looming" because of the interruption so far, adding that it's hard to tell if vehicle prices will be affected.

Last month, the likes of Volvo Cars and Volkswagen warned a chip shortage could lead to temporary shutdowns at their plants, and Jaguar Land Rover said the lack of chips posed a threat to their business.

On other key issues, Beijing will now pause export controls it brought in last month on rare earth minerals - vital in the production of cars, planes and weapons - for a year.

The White House also said it would lower tariffs brought in to curb the import of fentanyl into the US, with China agreeing to take "significant measures" to deal with the issue.

Fentanyl is a synthetic drug manufactured from a combination of chemicals, and while it is approved for medical use in the US, the powerful and highly-addictive substance has since become the main drug responsible for opioid overdose deaths in the US.

The chemicals used in its manufacturing, some of which have legitimate uses, are mostly sourced from China.

On soybeans, China has committed to buying 12 million tonnes of US soybeans in the last two months of 2025, and 25 million metric tonnes in each of the following three years - which is roughly the level they were previously at.

China's decision to stop purchasing soybeans from the US earlier this year denied American farmers access to their largest export market.

In response, Trump revived a bailout for farmers which was in place during his first term in office.

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China to ease chip export ban in new trade deal, White House says

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Nexperia chips are vital in car production and there were concerns from manufacturers about the damage a shortage could have.

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Government Intervention (Subsidies) - Jessica Nguyen

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Government Intervention (Subsidies) - Jessica Nguyen

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Thailand’s government has launched the "Let’s Go Halves" campaign to help people spend more and support the economy. From 20 October 2025, three groups can get extra money through the Pao Tang app. Low-income households get 2,000 baht, taxpayers 2,400 baht when they spend 2,000 baht, and non-registered taxpayers 2,000 baht.

This is an example of a subsidy, where the government pays part of the cost for people to encourage certain behavior, in this case, consumer spending. By covering a large portion of their daily expenses, the government motivates households to shop more, which increases demand for goods and services. By directly subsidizing spending, the government aims to increase economic activity, maintain employment, and prevent debt deflation, especially when Thailand’s economy is growing slowly, exports are weaker, and prices aren’t rising.

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Thai govt unveils plan to revive economy, proposes Let’s Go Halves and debt relief

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BANGKOK: The new government proposes 60-billion-baht stimulus, including Let’s Go Halves campaign and state-backed debt relief, to boost economy and support citizens.

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The Chinese customs has adjusted their tariffs on each goods. While tariff on some products will be decreased, the tariffs on some items, such as sugar syrup and sugar-containing premixes, vinyl chloride, and battery separators, will rise in response to domestic industrial development and changes in supply and demand. The changes aim to encourage imports of related goods, enhance domestic competitiveness, foster technological progress, ensure economic stability, and improve people's livelihoods.

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China Adjusts Tariffs for 2025 to Lift Imports of High-Quality Goods

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(Yicai) Dec. 30 -- China has adjusted its import tariffs for next year to promote the import of high-quality products, support technological innovation, and expand its global trade network, according to an official announcement.

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In 2022, UK implemented the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) which applies a charge to plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic. Businesses that manufacture or import 10 tonnes or more of plastic packaging per year must register and pay the tax. The tax is designed to create an economic incentive for businesses to use more recycled plastic in their packaging.

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In 2025, Vietnam placed a price cap on electricity. Experts warn of power shortages and blackouts by 2026, noting that over 170 renewable energy projects are stuck because investors see low profitability under the current pricing system.

This is an example of price control since the low price prevents the market from reaching equilibrium, since quantity supplied cannot keep up with rising demand.

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Vietnam’s power sector choked by price controls, faces looming energy crisis

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A lack of large-scale energy projects in the past decade, combined with regulatory gridlock and pricing caps, is threatening Vietnam’s ability to meet rising electricity demand by 2030.

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Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo prepares for a news conference at the central bank headquarters in Central Jakarta, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.

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Indonesia’s balance of payments deficit desmontrates weaknesses in the current account and financial account. The current account deficit deepened as lower global demand and falling prices reduced export revenues, shrinking the trade surplus and worsening the external balance. At the same time, the capital and financial account deficit shows portfolio investment outflows, as global uncertainty pushed investors toward safer assets, reducing inflows needed to finance the current account gap. Together, the fall in export earnings and capital outflows place downward pressure on the rupiah, increasing the challenge for policymakers to maintain external stability in the short run.

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Nguyen (Government Intervention -> Price Ceilings)

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Nguyen (Government Intervention -> Price Ceilings)

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This article shows how Greece government has tackled the high prices of food, household and baby products. One measure that the government has took is to "impose a cap on the gross profit margin of companies producing baby milk powder." They decided to implement a "7% profit cap on baby formula"

This is an example of price control, more specifically price ceilings. The profit cap contributes directly to the maximum price firms can assign for the product. Although not directly tackling the actual price of the product, the realationship between the price it takes to produce it vs the profit the product gains helps show that there is a inherent maximum price imposed to the product while satisfying the 7% profit condition.

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Greece's centre-right government has announced new measures to tackle the high prices of food, household and baby products, accusing multinational companies of imposing unjustifiably high prices on the country's consumers.

Some of the measures include price cuts on basic items such as fruit and vegetables, toothpaste, shampoo and home cleaning products.

One of the government's initiatives will be to impose a cap on the gross profit margin of companies producing baby milk powder.

The 7% profit cap on baby formula will happen in March and follows a series of similar initiatives over the past two years for basic items.

Food inflation was just below 9% at the end of 2023 in the country.

The government expects food inflation to slow down in the coming months.

According to the people asked by Euronews Greek in a public market in central Athens, people remain sceptical about whether the measures will reverse the price hikes of the last period. One of them said: "Listen, I'm an old woman, I saw a lot. When the prices rose, they never fell again."

The Greek government says the issue of the high prices is connected with the international crisis, to which parties of the Greek opposition have reacted by condemning the government for mockery.

"The imported precision is the number one problem for the whole country. And by extension the first priority of the government," said government spokesman Paul Marinakis. "The government has already proceeded with a series of permanent and targeted interventions that will help them to deal with the high prices."

The Greek government's battle against 'greedflation'

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis previously accused multinational companies and supermarket suppliers of taking advantage of high inflation to further hike prices.

"The battle to tame high prices and to impose more competition rules in favour of the consumer is a constant battle," Mitsotakis told his ministers in a televised address, AP reported.

"We are constantly deploying new policy tools until everyone - especially the multinational companies - understands that Greece is not a banana republic and that 'greedflation' cannot be tolerated."

Greek authorities in recent months have imposed fines of up to one million euros on major international companies who, they said, had violated government-imposed caps on profits.

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Greece tackles high prices on basic food products

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The Greek government has announced fresh measures to keep prices in check as it accuses businesses of taking advantage of high inflation.

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Costa Rica has been growing fast recently; its economy grew about 4.3% in 2024, which is high . They are not relying on old-school agriculture anymore. Instead, it’s becoming a high-tech hotspot.

A lot of big tech and medical-device companies have moved in, and Costa Rica is focusing on innovation, green energy, and skilled workers. The country is basically showing that you can grow your economy and stay sustainable at the same time.

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Costa Rica’s quiet rise as Latin America’s high-tech hub

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Long defined by its lush tropical rainforests and agricultural exports of coffee, bananas, and sugar, Costa Rica is quietly reinvented itself, shifting away from an agrarian economy to become a global powerhouse of high-tech industries – more dynamic and globally connected than ever before.

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Costa Rica has been growing fast recently; its economy grew about 4.3% in 2024, which is high. They are not relying on old-school agriculture anymore. Instead, it’s becoming a high-tech hotspot.

A lot of big tech and medical-device companies have moved in, and Costa Rica is focusing on innovation, green energy, and skilled workers. The country is basically showing that you can grow your economy and stay sustainable at the same time.

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Costa Rica’s quiet rise as Latin America’s high-tech hub

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Long defined by its lush tropical rainforests and agricultural exports of coffee, bananas, and sugar, Costa Rica is quietly reinvented itself, shifting away from an agrarian economy to become a global powerhouse of high-tech industries – more dynamic and globally connected than ever before.

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Production & consumption that causes a global / social issue 

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Production & consumption that causes a global / social issue 

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E-commerce generates 68% of single-use plastic waste

A survey conducted in five provinces in Vietnam shows that single use plastic waste from e-commerce packaging increased from 44% in 2020 to 68% in 2025.

The article shows that e-commerce companies create large amounts of single use plastic packaging, and consumers continually buy online and accept excessive packaging. This leads to the major global environmental problem of plastic pollution.

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Thương mại điện tử thải ra 68% rác nhựa dùng một lần - Báo VnExpress

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68% nhựa dùng một lần phát sinh từ các hoạt động thương mại điện tử, trong đó túi nilon, bao bì xốp chống sốc và chai nhựa là những loại rác thải phổ biến nhất.

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Zimbabwe is in a debt crisis, with its external debt exceeding US $23 billion. This heavy debt burden is forcing the government to spend a large share of its budget on repayments instead of on development areas like infrastructure, education, or healthcare.

The crisis is also harming key sectors like mining, where fears of asset seizures by international creditors are reducing investor confidence and causing FDI to fall. So, economic growth slows, jobs are lost and long-term development is blocked.

Indebtedness limits government spending and scares away investment, making it a barrier to sustainable development.

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Serrari Group » Serrari | Finance Tips, Tools, Macro & Investment News, Online Courses

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Zimbabwe’s External Debt Exceeds $23 Billion as IMF Uncovers $2 Billion Discrepancy in Official Figures » Serrari Group

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IMF reveals Zimbabwe’s debt is $2 billion higher than reported, casting doubt on nation’s eligibility for international debt relief programs

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Barriers to Economic Development - Geographical Factors

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Barriers to Economic Development - Geographical Factors

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Bolivia is a landlocked country after it lost its coastline to Chile during the 1884 war. This lack of access to the sea limits its economic growth by raising trade expenses and separating it from worldwide shipping markets. Being landlocked increases Bolivia’s transport costs as these are higher on land than on sea. Plus, land transport charges are often subject to monopoly pricing in neighbouring countries. Because of this, most landlocked countries are economically disadvantaged – on average, the growth rate of landlocked countries is three and a half percentage points lower than that of other countries.

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Bolivia really wants a port (or two) to call its own. For more than a century, the landlocked Latin American country has fought with Chile over sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean and territory that Bolivia lost in a 19th century war with its neighbour. A number of legal declarations have been made and several diplomatic exchanges have taken place since then.

But Bolivia had its hopes of regaining access to the Pacific dashed by the International Court of Justice in October. The court ruled that Chile is not legally obliged to negotiate Bolivia's sovereign access to the ocean.

The ruling marked a blow to Bolivian president, Evo Morales, who had high expectations of restoring his country's access to the sea. Sovereign access to the Pacific would bring Bolivia significant economic benefits. In particular, Bolivia sought control of the port cities of Arica and Antofagasta. Both cities have around a quarter of a million inhabitants and are crucial for exporting to Asia.

Most of Chile's international shipments take place from Antofagasta and Arica but it does grant Bolivia access to both ports. From here Bolivia mostly ships raw materials (such as tin) and commodities (soy beans and sunflower seeds). Its biggest trade partners are South Korea, India, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and then Belgium. Bolivia shipped about 80% of its total exports from Arica in 2017.

Bolivia's core argument was that this lack of access to the sea has undermined its possibilities of progress as a developing state. Sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean, Bolivia hopes, would significantly improve its bargaining position in Latin American and global trade relations.

Had Bolivia retained access to the Pacific, its GDP would be a fifth higher according to estimates that take into consideration the effects of it being landlocked on its GDP growth.

At present, Bolivia's GDP is less than 15% the size of Chile's. Chile benefits significantly from its long coast line. Trade - the bulk of which is with countries outside of Latin America - accounts for 56% of its GDP. This is particularly true in the disputed coastline area which benefits from easy access to ports to ship commodities (copper, molybdenum, silver and gold) from its mining sites to China, Japan and South Korea.

Landlock disadvantage

Chile does grant Bolivia tariff-free access to the ports of Arica and Antofagasta. It also allows Bolivia to have its own customs officials there. But, despite this, sovereign access to the ports would significantly improve Bolivia's trade position. It is estimated that the lack of sovereign access to the Pacific ocean adds an additional 55.7% to the price paid per container shipped in comparison to what Chile pays.

Being landlocked increases Bolivia's transport costs as these are higher on land than on sea. Plus, land transport charges are often subject to monopoly pricing in neighbouring countries. Because of this, most landlocked countries are economically disadvantaged - on average, the growth rate of landlocked countries is three and a half percentage points lower than that of other countries. Plus, research shows that, despite substantial trade liberalisation by developing countries in the 1990s, the export performance of landlocked ones was weaker than that of developing countries with sovereign access to seas in the period between 1995 and 2015 due to the additional trade costs associated with being landlocked.

For developed landlocked countries like Austria and Switzerland, geography does not have such a big impact on economic performance. Of the 45 landlocked countries in the world, the nine high-income, developed countries in Europe do not have a statistically significantly different growth experience from that of other developed countries. This is because they are surrounded by other developed countries, with access to one of the best trade networks in the world. So the challenges they face are very different to those faced by landlocked developing countries.

Bolivia is not in any position to achieve this and is unlikely to accept the international court's decision quietly. There is clearly a political element at play here too - access to the Pacific is an emotive issue for the Bolivian people. But the country might be better off economically if it focuses on diversifying its trade strategy instead of just fighting for sovereign access to Arica and Antofagasta.

Instead of focusing on sea routes, it should build better trade relations with South American trade blocs. Both Mercosur (which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and the Pacific Alliance (which comprises Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico) are options. Bolivia's economic growth would benefit more from making alliances with its neighbours, rather than prolonging an uncertain legal battle.

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Bolivia landlocked: how lack of ports hinders economic growth

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Bolivia really wants a port (or two) to call its own. For more than a century, the landlocked Latin American country has fought with Chile over sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean and territory that Bolivia lost in a 19th century war with its neighbour.

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Negative externalities of alcohol consumption in Vietnam

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Negative externalities of alcohol consumption in Vietnam

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The government of Vietnam wants to reduce the negative externalities from the alcohol consumption (increased mortality rate), where MPB>MSB. So, to address this issue, government plans to rise indirect taxes on alcohol consumption from the current 65% to 70% by 2027 and ultimately to 90% by 2031. As a result, the supply curve would shift upwards, and consumption would decrease due to higher price, getting closer to the Q_opt.

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Negative externalities of coal-fired electricity production in China

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Negative externalities of coal-fired electricity production in China

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In China, coal-fired electricity generation creates negative externalities such as air pollution and health problems, meaning that marginal social cost (MSC) exceeds marginal private cost (MPC). As producers ignore these external costs, electricity is overproduced at the market equilibrium. The socially optimal level of output, Qopt, is lower than the free-market level. To reduce this externality, government measures such as carbon taxes and emission regulations increase production costs, reducing output and moving the market closer to Qopt.

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Cutting vaccine recommendations in the United States - positive externality of consumption, defeated

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Cutting vaccine recommendations in the United States - positive externality of consumption, defeated

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Vaccines are the best preventative tool society has against many (now preventable) diseases such as hepatitis B, malaria, COVID-19, etc. Even for those who do not vaccinate (usually a willful decision made based on misinformation), they are protected by herd immunity as a result of the people around them getting vaccinated. This is a positive externality of consumption, where a higher MSB than MPB (at every price point) means that vaccine consumption should increase, i.e. demand for it should increase and more resources should be allocated towards it. There is welfare to be gained by carrying out those measures.

This is the attitude most of society holds, save for antivaxxers, who mistakenly believe that the negative effects (some bordering on conspiracy) outweigh the positive effects and choose not to vaccinate or get their children vaccinate. For them, vaccines carry a negative externality consumption, where a lower "MSB" than MPB (at every price point) means that vaccine consumption, should, actually, decrease (or be at zero). "Welfare" is actually lost.

What's happening in the United States is peculiar. The country has recently experienced a distinct (mostly-Republican) departure from Biden's administration to Trump's administration, bringing with it many changes. One of them is removing several vaccines from the list of recommendations for babies - signaling that vaccines are either unnecessary or actively harmful to their children, theoretically reducing its demand. The gap between the optimal quantity of vaccination and the equilibrium quantity of vaccination widens, losing more welfare.

Considering that vaccines are a merit good, and that the United States has various vaccine programs designed to get vaccines out to more of the population at a low cost or at no cost, the United State is directly provisioning vaccinations, implying that vaccines are a merit good that they've turned into a public good. This move to nudge vaccine consumers and reduce its demand is thus, controversial and maybe even contradictory - should a merit good not be provided more? Is there not a welfare gain to be had by correcting the positive externality of consumption?

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US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr

An overhaul of US childhood immunisation guidelines has dropped the number of vaccines the CDC recommends from 17 to 10.

The new list of recommended vaccines, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes polio and measles vaccines but others such as hepatitis A and B, and Covid vaccines are recommended based on risk and "shared clinical decision-making" between doctors and parents, the announcement said.

The overhaul is the latest sweeping policy change made under the Trump administration by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy said the new rules came "after an exhaustive review" and "protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health."

"We are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent," he added.

The CDC compared the existing recommendation for children with 20 developed countries and it found the US was "a global outlier" in the number of diseases covered and number of doses, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

Monday's announcement came weeks after a CDC panel made a new recommendation about when children should receive the first hepatitis B vaccine. Previously, a first dose was recommended for babies within 24 hours of birth but the revised guidelines last December moved it to two months after month if the mother was hepatitis B negative.

The recommendation was roundly criticised by paediatricians with the American Academy of Pediatrics describing it as "a dangerous move that will harm children".

For now, insurance will continue to cover vaccines still recommended at the end of 2025.

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US cuts universal child vaccine recommendations, including covid and hepatitis

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The overhaul is the latest in a host of sweeping changes made under the Trump administration by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

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Inward Foreign Direct Investment (IFDI) from the Korean MNC's to Hanoi.

Samsung has invested in Hanoi via:

1. Construction of the Oversea R&D Hub

2. (Additional) Lotte West lake Samsung centre

LG has invested in Hanoi via:

1. Upgrading the R&D center it established in Hanoi in 2016 to an official corporation in 2023

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Vietnam Emerges as Key R&D Hub for Korean Tech Giants

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The expansion of overseas development bases by major domestic companies is accelerating due to increased developer demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI

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Injections of foreign currency and aid for infrastructure projects provide immediate employment and stimulate local demand.

Targeted aid for food security and health clinics directly improves life expectancy and quality of life for the most vulnerable.

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Removal picnic tables, benches from parks, Excludable and rivalrous Goods.

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Removal picnic tables, benches from parks, Excludable and rivalrous Goods.

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Rivalry:
The situation in Firehouse Park demonstrates rivalry because the space and its amenities can only be used by a limited number of people at one time. When certain individuals were occupying the picnic tables and benches for long periods, others were unable to use them, meaning one group’s consumption directly reduced the ability of others to enjoy the park. This congestion and overuse turned the park into a rivalrous good, since access to seating, shade, and gathering areas became scarce. The city’s decision to remove the benches was meant to reduce this rivalry by preventing any single group from dominating the space and limiting the conflict that arose from competing uses.

Excludability:
Public parks are normally non-excludable because it is difficult to stop people from entering or using them. However, by removing the picnic tables and benches, the city effectively increased excludability without putting up fences or charging fees. The lack of seating discourages people from staying for long periods, indirectly excluding behaviors the city views as problematic. While no one is formally banned from the park, the change in design makes the space less accessible and less attractive for certain users, showing how excludability can be created through physical and environmental controls rather than direct rules.

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My real life situation is about defence spending in Europe where countries work together through NATO to stay safe but some countries are willing to spend more on defence than others but all countries receive the same protection and in Europe many countries spend around 2% of GDP on defence while some countries spend around 4% of GDP and this shows that a few countries pay much more while others pay less and still benefit and this is a free rider problem because countries that spend less still get protection paid for by others and defence is a public good because everyone benefits and no country can be excluded and this creates a positive externality because when one country increases defence spending other allies also benefit and on the graph MSB > MPB so defence spending is lower than what is best for society which shows market failure

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The free ride is over, but Whitaker stresses ongoing US engagement in NATO

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US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker joined defence and security decision-makers at the European Policy Centre’s Thought Leadership Forum on 10 October 2025, to discuss the future of the transatlantic relationship – and what Europe can expect in the years ahead.

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My real life situation is the use of subsidies, regulation and legislation for the use growth of the EV market in Ho Chi Minh City. In the article. This is done to solve the market failure caused by petrol vehicles resulting in a NEC. This is because petrol vehicles cause air pollution and other stuff that causes MPB > MSB as the costs of consuming petrol vehicles is not fully reflected in the individual but is instead spread to society. With the use of subsidies for EV vehicles it will drive down demand for petrol vehicles because of a determinant of demand known as price of substitute goods. Since EV's will be cheaper, there will be less incentive to buy petrol vehicles.

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Unemployment rates in the united kingdom is expected to increase to about 5.3% in 2026, with unemployment of young people reaching a staggering 16%. This shows that young workers are disproportionately affected, which leads to slower economic growth, showing, which is predicted to be around 1.1%.

When economic growth slows, aggregate demand decreases the overall demand for goods produced domestically, including consumer goods, services, and capital goods decreases), leading firms to reduce hiring and lower sales.

Simultaneously, when labor costs increase, such as increases in minimum wages and labor related taxes, it may affect firms by discouraging them from employing young people or inexperienced individuals, but contributes to the structural unemployment (a mismatch between worker's skills and the jobs that are available in the economy).

In conclusion, this situation displays the strong correlation between low economic growth and rising unemployment.

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In the United States, inflation has moderated but remains above target, affecting everyday prices such as housing, food, and services. According to recent government data, the Consumer Price Index (an estimate of the level of prices of goods and services bought for consumption purposes by households) increased by about 2.4 % from last year to January 2026, showing that prices continue to rise compared with a year earlier. The inflation rate is about 2.5%. This shows that prices for many everyday goods and services are still increasing. Even though inflation is lower than before, it is still above the Governments 2% goal, meaning the cost of living is still rising for many people.

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Guyana - one countries with highest expansion rate

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Guyana - one countries with highest expansion rate

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Guyana is currently one of fastest growing nation in the world with GDP expanding by 10.3% in 2025 and projected massive growth through 2028. The reason for such rapid expansion is the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, which allowed the large scale oil production and exports. Such rapid expansion increased the foreign investment, government revenue, and created new infrastructure for jobs. As a result, national output and income are rising rapidly.

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As millions of migrant workers travel home for the Lunar New Year, the Chinese government fears that many may not return to city jobs afterward. In the past, rural migrants could easily find work in construction and manufacturing in large cities. However, China’s economic slowdown and problems in the property sector have reduced these job opportunities, causing some workers to return home earlier or struggle to find work.

When an economy grows, more jobs are created in industries, which attracts migrant workers to cities. However, during a slowdown, investment decreases, fewer buildings are constructed, factories reduce production, thus unemployment rises. This appears to be happening in China, especially with the ongoing weakness in the property market.

At the same time, more workers (especially young workers) are choosing to stay closer to home for family and lifestyle reasons, even if wages are lower. While this may improve quality of life for individuals, it could slow China’s economic growth because migrant workers have historically been a major source of labor that fueled urban development and industrial expansion.

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China fears a flood of unemployed workers in rural areas

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Fading ambition may pose a bigger problem

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In the U.S, retail sales (total value of goods/services sold to consumers) are facing a decline. Although sales are still increasing. They have been slowly declining shown when retail sales in November to December dropped from 3.3% to 2.4%. Additionally, furniture stores sales decreased 0.9% and sales from clothing retailers dropped 0.7%. Another factor contributing to the decline is inflation in the economy.

This article indicates a potential decline in GDP, more specifically consumer expenditure, a major determinant in aggregate demand. Decreasing retail sales potentially indicates a decrease in consumer confidence & household wealth. Hence, the AD curve (Aggregate Demand) shifts to the left.

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US consumer spending slows: Is it a warning for the economy?

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Retail sales were unexpectedly flat in December as consumers pulled back, raising questions about a broader economic slowdown.

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In the U.S, retail sales (total value of goods/services sold to consumers) are facing a decline. Although sales are still increasing. They have been slowly declining shown when retail sales in November to December dropped from 3.3% to 2.4%. Additionally, furniture stores sales decreased 0.9% and sales from clothing retailers dropped 0.7%. Another factor contributing to the decline is inflation in the economy.

This article indicates a potential decline in GDP, more specifically consumer expenditure, a major determinant in aggregate demand. Decreasing retail sales potentially indicates a decrease in consumer confidence & household wealth. Hence, the AD curve (Aggregate Demand) shifts to the left.

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US consumer spending slows: Is it a warning for the economy?

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Retail sales were unexpectedly flat in December as consumers pulled back, raising questions about a broader economic slowdown.

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U.S. stock futures jumped early Wednesday after President Donald Trump said he was suspending Iran attacks for two weeks just ahead of his 8 p.m. ET deadline, pausing a five-week conflict that closed a crucial waterway for global energy supply and sent equity prices reeling.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by over 1,000 points, or 2.29%. S&P 500 futures added 2.52%, and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 3.2%.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures tumbled about 14% to $97.17 a barrel following Trump’s declaration. International benchmark Brent for June delivery lost more than 12% to $95.55 per barrel.

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Vietnam’s National Assembly is considering a proposal to cut fuel-related taxes to zero until June 30, 2026. This proposal aims to reduce rising fuel prices caused by Middle East tensions, which have disrupted global oil supply and increased oil costs in Vietnam.

The government had already introduced short-term tax cuts in late March 2026, but now seeks a longer-term solution to control inflation and support businesses and households. The proposal would take effect from April 16 to June 30, 2026, with possible adjustments depending on future global oil conditions.

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National Assembly weighs fuel tax cuts to zero through June 2026

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Presenting the Government’s proposal, Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan stressed that escalating tensions in the Middle East have triggered sharp fluctuations in global energy prices, particularly oil and gas, disrupting supply chains and pushing up crude oil prices. These developments have significantly impacted Vietnam’s fuel market, driving up retail prices in a short period and affecting business activities as well as daily life and income of people.

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This article talks about the ways in which the US-Israel-Iran conflict is impacting the world economy, particularly through the rise of oil prices. It shows how the supply of oil has been affected by conflicts in the Middle East, leading to a rise in prices worldwide. Oil is an important resource for production and transportation, which raises corporate expenses and fuels inflation.

As a result, firms cut back on supply when production costs rise, which raises price and reduces economic output.

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Oil, Inflation, Unrest: The Global Fallout of the US-Israeli

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“The only coordinated mechanism that most policy makers across the global South are indulging in right now is prayer.”

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This article talks about the ways in which the US-Israel-Iran conflict is impacting the world economy, particularly through the rise of oil prices. It shows how the supply of oil has been affected by conflicts in the Middle East, leading to a rise in prices worldwide. Oil is an important resource for production and transportation, which raises corporate expenses and fuels inflation

As a result, firms cut back on supply when production costs rise, which raises price and reduces economic output.

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Oil, Inflation, Unrest: The Global Fallout of the US-Israeli

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“The only coordinated mechanism that most policy makers across the global South are indulging in right now is prayer.”

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The Reuters article shows we are in a negative supply shock because the Middle East war is hiking oil costs and making production more expensive. Because of this, Deutsche Bank in Germany expects the the Federal Reserve System to keep rates high through 2026 to avoid a 'price spiral.' Essentially, the Fed is justifying these high rates as a way to keep inflation under control while the economy deals with these rising costs.

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In 2026, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas raised interest rates to 4.5% in order to control rising inflation in the Philippines. Officials now see inflation averaging about 6.3% this year, above their 2%–4% target, which is driven by higher global oil and food prices. By making borrowing more expensive, the central bank aimed to reduce spending and investment, which helps slow down price increases. Although this policy may weaken economic growth in the short run, it is used to stabilize inflation and maintain long-term economic confidence.

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Philippines' Central Bank Ends Its Rate-Cut Era

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The BSP raised rates to 4.50% as fuel-driven inflation stays hot, and it's signaling more hikes could follow if price pressures don't cool.

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Federal Reserve in the United States cut interest rates during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. By lowering the federal funds rate to near zero, the central bank aimed to make borrowing cheaper for businesses and households, encouraging spending and investment. This expansionary monetary policy was intended to support economic activity during the downturn, helping firms stay afloat and reducing unemployment, although it also contributed to later concerns about rising inflation.

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"Central Banks Pivot: Lower Rates to Stimulate 2025 Growth"
In early 2025, the European Central Bank (ECB) and other major central banks confirmed a decisive shift in policy. After achieving "victory over inflation," officials moved to cut rates to ensure everyday people and businesses could afford to spend again. While high rates were necessary to cool down an "overheated" economy (reducing demand-pull inflation), the 2025 cuts are designed to boost a domestic market that remains a key driver for sustainable growth.

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In 2026, many households across the UK are feeling the effects of rising food prices that began during the cost of living crisis in 2021. For example, a family of four in Manchester now spends significantly more on basic groceries than they did just a few years ago.

Foods such as beef, olive oil, eggs, and milk have seen some of the largest price increases. The cost of beef alone has risen over 60%, while olive prices have more than doubled due to supply shortages which are connected to extreme whether in regions that are producing them. As a result, the family's weekly grocery bill has increased from around 120 USD in 2021 to over 175 USD in 2026. So that's around 3.1 million VND to around ~4.6mil.

The rising costs are driven by higher energy prices, increased transportation costs, and climate related disruptions like droughts and floods which are affecting the food production. For families that are on the lower income side, this means cutting back on food quantity or switching to cheaper and less nutritious alternatives.

According to economists, this situation reflects a broader inflationary pressure in the economy, where shocks, such as global conflicts, pandemics, and climate change as we have seen before, pushed up the cost of essential goods faster than wages can keep up.

Hence, the affordability of food became a growing concern and a key economic issue.

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Food prices are on track to be 50% higher in November than at the start of the cost of living crisis in 2021, research suggests.

Climate and energy shocks have driven an almost quadrupling of the pace of food price growth, according to research from the thinktank Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), with costs rising in five years at about the same rate as they had over the previous two decades.

Anna Taylor, the executive director of the Food Foundation charity, said: "Food prices rising this high and this fast leaves families on the lowest incomes with nowhere left to cut except the food on their plate. When that happens, people skip meals, children go hungry, and diet-related illness rises - taking parents out of work and piling pressure on an NHS that can least afford it."

The research suggests that the cost of living crisis, which many voters blame on political elites and big business, is likely to continue to be an important political issue during 2026. Experts have said the war in the Middle East is likely to drive up inflation, which had previously been sent soaring by the Covid pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Bank of England has said food inflation is expected to rise to 7% by the end of the year because of higher prices for fertiliser, energy and transport.

Foods including pasta, frozen vegetables, chocolate and eggs were all at least 50% more expensive than five years ago, while the price of beef was up 64% and olive oil had more than doubled, the ECIU said. The rises reflected the products' "sensitivity to volatile oil and gas prices, synthetic fertiliser costs, and climate impacts such as droughts, floods and heatwaves, both in the UK and in key import regions", the thinktank found.

These forces pushed household food bills up by an average of £605 over 2022 and 2023, the report added, while recently five climate-affected foods - butter, milk, beef, chocolate and coffee - had been responsible for much of the continued pressure on food inflation.

And inflation could potentially become more extreme in the near future, the thinktank added.

Chris Jaccarini, a food and farming analyst at the ECIU, said: "Trump's war in the Middle East is set to drive shopping bills higher as oil and gas prices spike. Scientists are predicting 2027 to be the hottest year on record with climate change combining with the El Niño effect kicking off this year. Three of England's worst harvests on record have been in the past five years."

Adjusting for average wages, the ECIU said food prices had risen by 11% since the start of the cost of living crisis, compounding wage-adjusted rises experienced in other household costs that were difficult to mitigate, including energy and water bills.

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UK food prices on track to rise by 50% since start of cost of living crisis

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Beef and olive oil costs increase the most as climate and energy shocks drive inflation, research suggests

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In 2026, the United Kingdom government faced debate over its fiscal policy, which suggested replacing strict fiscal targets with a more flexible traffic light system for managing public finances. Instead of focusing only on fixed debt and borrowing goals, the new system would evaluate multiple economic indicators to guide policy decisions. By allowing greater flexibility in government spending and borrowing, policymakers hope to support long-term economic stability while avoiding harmful cuts to public services and investment. However, critics argue that loosening fiscal rules could reduce confidence in the government’s ability to control national debt.

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In 2025, Bank of England (BoE) to cut interest rates from 4% to 3.75% due to stagnated economic growth and unstable labour market. The bank attempted to stimulate economic activity through increasing consumption and investment. However, concerns were raised as this may result in persistent inflation and later, stagnation in economic growth.

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LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The Bank of England cut interest rates on Thursday after a narrow vote by policymakers but it signalled that the already gradual pace of lowering borrowing costs might slow further.

After a sharp drop in inflation in data this week and a new forecast from BoE staff that growth will stagnate in late 2025, five Monetary Policy Committee members voted to lower the BoE's benchmark rate for the fourth time in 2025 to 3.75% from 4.0%.

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The four other members supported no change as they worried about the potential for Britain inflation's rate - still the highest among the Group of Seven economies - to remain too high.

Governor Andrew Bailey changed his view and voted for a cut, tipping the balance on the committee.

"We still think rates are on a gradual path downward," Bailey said in a statement. "But with every cut we make, how much further we go becomes a closer call."

He said he did not yet see proof of a sharper downturn in the jobs market but he also noted inflation expectations had not dropped significantly so far.

Analysts polled by Reuters last week had mostly expected a 5-4 vote for a rate reduction.

The MPC echoed Bailey's words in its end-of-meeting statement. But some senior policymakers who voted against the rate cut made clear their worries.

Deputy Governor Clare Lombardelli said she remained more concerned about the risk of inflation proving stronger than expected and the recent data had only softened "at the margin."

Chief Economist Huw Pill said he saw a bigger risk of inflation getting stuck too high than too low.

The quarter-point cut took Bank Rate to its lowest level in nearly three years, although it is still almost double the equivalent rate of the European Central Bank.

British inflation remains higher than among peer economies - in part because of finance minister Rachel Reeves' decision last year to raise taxes on employers - even after it fell unexpectedly sharply to 3.2% in data released on Wednesday.

The BoE said inflation was "now expected to fall back towards target more quickly in the near term" and the risk that it would persist at high levels had "become somewhat less pronounced." The possibility of weaker demand pushing it too low remained, the post-meeting statement said.

Data on Tuesday showed a weakening jobs market including the highest unemployment rate since 2021 and a slowdown in private sector pay growth.

The BoE said it now expected zero economic growth in the last three months of 2025, down from a forecast of 0.3% growth made as recently as last month, although it thought underlying growth was stronger at about 0.2% a quarter.

Britain's economy shrank by 0.1% in the three months to October amid reports that businesses put investment projects on ice in the run-up to Reeves' budget on November 26.

The BoE said it expected the budget would bring down inflation in 2026 by about half a percentage point due to one-off measures which would then push it up a bit in the following two years.

The budget measures would add at most 0.2 percentage points to the size of the economy in 2026 and 2027.

Other major central banks are believed to be close to halting their rate cuts - the U.S. Federal Reserve last week signalled one more in 2026 while the ECB has probably already come to the end of its monetary loosening cycle.

The ECB was expected to keep rates on hold later on Thursday.

(Reporting by William Schomberg, Andy Bruce and Suban Abdulla)

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Bank of England lowers rates after tight vote but signals caution about further cuts

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The Bank of England cut interest rates on Thursday after a narrow vote by policymakers but it signalled that the already gradual pace of lowering borrowing costs might slow further.

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The United States has recently announced a combination of personal and business tax cuts aimed at stimulating economic growth. According to Keynesian economics, lower income taxes would increase disposable income and consumption, shifting aggregate demand to the right and increasing real output in the short run. Neoclassical economists, however, argue that in the case of demand-side tax cuts the economy would eventually self-correct back to its original level of output, with the main effect being higher inflation in the long run. The policy also includes business tax incentives that encourage investment, productivity and capital formation. Therefore it may increase productive capacity and shift LRAS to the right allowing for long-run economic growth with less inflationary pressure.

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Tax changes loom large for US economy in 2026

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Here’s some detail about what’s in store.

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The Help to Buy scheme was a policy introduced by the government of the United Kingdom in 2013 to help more people, especially first-time buyers, purchase homes. The government provided financial assistance through equity loans, making it easier for people to enter the housing market. However, despite its good intentions, the policy unintentionally contributed to greater income and wealth inequality. The article states that many of the benefits were received by higher-income households who were already in a position to buy homes. As these households were able to purchase properties sooner and benefit from rising house prices, they accumulated wealth more quickly than lower-income groups. At the same time, the increased demand for housing contributed to higher property prices, making homeownership even less affordable for many people. This case demonstrates how government policies can sometimes have unintended consequences and widen economic inequality rather than reduce it.

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The Guardian view on help to buy: entrenching housing inequalities, rather than helping | Editorial

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Editorial: The Tories’ flagship scheme has aided higher earners most. The latest analysis of its flaws should lead to a rethink