Matt Kent

Increasingly alarmed by Recep Tayyip Erdoan’s cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin, western capitals are considering punitive retaliation against the Nato member if it assists Russia in avoiding sanctions.   According to the Financial Times, six western officials expressed concern about the Turkish and Russian leaders’ pledge to expand trade and energy cooperation following their four-hour meeting …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – Turkey’s deepening relationship with Russia alarms western capitals Read More »

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing Japanese businesses to temporarily close their offices or suspend production in a country that so far has fared better than most advanced economies during the epidemic.  Last week, Toyota Motor Corp and Daihatsu Motor Co halted production line shifts due to employee infections. KFC Holdings Japan Ltd closed some of …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – Japanese Inc. grapples with COVID work stoppages and no chitchat at lunch   Read More »

Olivia Newton-John’s enduring image may be one of permed hair, bare shoulders, and black spandex on the set of “Grease”. The late actress and singer, who died Monday at the age of 73, was a fashion icon long before and after her blockbuster roles. In the 1970s, Newton-John became a symbol of the decade’s anything-goes …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – RIP Olivia – a new star in heaven, the dance idol of many of us Read More »

It was in the “national interest” of steel makers to protect themselves, according to International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan. As a result of “global disruptions” to energy markets and supply chains, the decision was made. Energy prices are putting pressure on British steel producers. In some parts of the UK, steelmaking employs 34,000 people and …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – Steel import tariffs extended for two years Read More »

As European countries struggle to find alternatives to Russian energy due to the war in Ukraine, Africa seems to be an attractive option for Italy. The Italian government recently signed contracts with Algeria, Egypt, Angola, and the Republic of Congo to increase natural gas imports from the Italian energy giant ENI Spa, which is already …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – Italy Strikes Gas Deals with African Countries to End Reliance on Russia Read More »

The Zimbabwe government is asking the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which protects endangered species, to lift its ban on global ivory exports. At a CITES meeting scheduled for November, it will present its case. Panama will host CITES’ 19th Conference of Parties (COP 19). Zimbabwe is …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – Zimbabwe Wants CITES to Lift Ivory Trade Ban Read More »

About 40% of what Russian steel millers export goes to the local market. Despite the size of the domestic market, millers do not want to flood it and lower prices. As a result of sanctions, Russian steel exports were below market value in the first week of April. Sanctions Are Bad for Business Recent sanctions …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – Russian Steel Exports below Market Levels Read More »

There are more than 3,500 businesses at risk of significant delays in importing goods if they don’t move to the UK’s new streamlined customs system by the end of this year. From 1 October 2022, businesses must use the Customs Declaration Service to submit import declarations when the Customs Handling Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – 3,500 businesses risk losing the ability to import goods Read More »

Stocks ignored such worries on Friday, gaining ahead of US jobs data that will provide another clue to the health of the world’s largest economy, as oil slipped to its lowest level since the start of the war in Ukraine. The benchmark Brent crude futures LCOc1 rose a touch to $94.23 a barrel, and the …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – Oil prices hit lowest since Russia-Ukraine war began; Brent hits $94.23/bbl Read More »

As the Fed officials talked up the potential for further, aggressive rate hikes, the US dollar remained elevated on Wednesday following its biggest surge in three weeks against major peers. US Treasury yields rebounded after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan was met with a strong, but not overwhelming response from China, as the …

Wim Van Hooydonk Warnings and Updates – US dollar, yields after Fed officials expect more rate hikes Read More »