Global Scans · Trade · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Global trade policies could be upended with a new President in the White House, Brexit, a potential break-up of the European Union and China reacting to these changes in profound ways.

• [New] The US is leaning hard on India to give companies like Amazon and Walmart full eCommerce access, threatening a 26% tariff on Indian goods if barriers are not removed. Technology for Marketing 2025
• [New] Besides the (n-2) trade regime providing diversification opportunities, many countries have found it more challenging to benefit from maintaining trading relationships with both the U.S. and China, the world's two biggest economies. Policy Center
• [New] Most countries besides the U.S. and China will likely coalesce around major regional trade agreements. Policy Center
• [New] Export growth performance remains strong, and Chinese goods are expected to remain competitive in the short term. economic-research.bnpparibas.com
• [New] Alongside aerial strikes and disruptions to trade and transportation, a parallel front in the war with Iran has intensified: cyber operations targeting organizations in Israel and the United States. Bitdefender Blog
• [New] 2026 terminal utilization rates in the United States will be slightly higher than in 2025 and near maximum capacity as the spread between domestic Henry Hub prices and European and Asian import prices for spot cargoes remains wide. EIA - Energy Information Administration
• [New] The future of global shipping will likely involve more diversified trade corridors, stronger regional supply networks, and greater reliance on data-driven logistics planning. Kemecon
• [New] Under new US laws, Australian drugmakers that do not build new factories in America and cut their prices for US consumers will be hit with 100% tariffs. SBS News
• [New] The 2026 China Import Expo presents both opportunities and challenges for the anode grade coke industry. AprilAire
• [New] The conflict in the Middle East has produced the largest energy disruption in history, with 20% of global oil trade being disrupted and more than 10% of oil production now shut in. Goldman Sachs Asset Management
• [New] Japan's AI Promotion Act and South Korea's 2026-2028 AI Action Plan are both designed to build domestic capability rather than rely on imported models. Digital in Asia
• [New] Traffic through the strait, which provides transit for 20% of the world's oil trade, has collapsed, resulting in the largest oil disruption in history. Prudent Investors
• [New] As geopolitical tensions intensify across West Asia, global trade dynamics are undergoing a structural shift, with political risk insurance emerging as a critical safeguard for businesses navigating an increasingly volatile environment. Economic Times
• [New] New South Korean economic data (CPI, GDP, export volumes), BOK official communications, and US trade policy announcements are the primary catalysts that could shift contract pricing before resolution. Lines.com
• [New] DUAL UK, the underwriting arm of Howden Group Holdings, has launched a new Credit Risk Insurance solution aimed at helping clients manage the challenges associated with cross-border trade and investment. ReinsuranceNe.ws
• [New] Traders will surely put the risks due to logistic failures and global price increases into the selling price of already imported goods, and potato growers - into the future harvest. Infotag
• [New] The Strait of Hormuz represents the single most critical vulnerability, carrying approximately 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade. Discovery Alert
• [New] Tariffs, regulation and political shifts rank as the top influence shaping supply chain decisions today, with 73% expecting tariffs to continue negatively affecting finances in 2026. The National Provisioner
• [New] According to Deloitte, nearly 95% of retail executives expect rising global trade pressures to increase costs, prompting organizations to redesign supply networks. Kasmo
• [New] Both India and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), an Asia-Pacific free-trade agreement, will account for over 35% of global GDP by 2050. Siemens
• [New] CBAM aims to level the playing field for European industries by imposing equivalent carbon costs on imported goods, reducing the risk of carbon leakage, and incentivising global decarbonization. Degroof Petercam Asset Management
• [New] Washington might strike Iran's key energy infrastructure, including its main oil export hub at Kharg Island, oil wells, and power plants, if no deal is reached and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. SeafoodNews

Last updated: 09 April 2026