Tariff negotiations: Brazilian president pledges direct diplomatic outreach if US trade restrictions stall, seeking bilateral talks.
An executive order has imposed substantial US tariffs on Brazilian goods, justified by US concerns about Brazil's policies and prosecution of a former leader; Brazil's president has pledged direct diplomatic engagement-including personal calls and bilateral meetings-to advance negotiations. The document also outlines US-authorised covert actions and escalated military measures in the region, Brazil's call for regional multilateral dialogue to prevent escalation, and demands for independent forensic review of a lethal domestic police operation.

Export controls pause: China's suspension prompts EU push for an export licensing system to stabilise rare earth supplies.
The EU welcomed China's 12-month suspension of its export controls on rare earths and emphasised the need for a predictable supply of these critical materials. EU and Chinese officials committed to continued dialogue on export control implementation and to developing an export licensing system to ensure a more stable flow of rare earth minerals to the bloc.

SBI raises FY26 credit-growth guidance to 12-14% after a Q2 profit boost from the Yes Bank stake sale.
SBI's September-quarter consolidated profit rose primarily from a Rs 4,593 crore gain on the Yes Bank stake sale, while core net interest income grew modestly and NIM compressed slightly. Management raised the FY26 credit growth target to 12-14 percent citing stronger retail, agriculture and MSME demand post-GST changes, expects a 3 percent NIM guided by liability-cost reduction and central bank action, reported improved asset quality with lower fresh slippages, and noted limited impact from transition to an expected credit loss provisioning framework.

Regulatory-driven credit growth target raised as policy changes prompt stronger lending outlook and monitoring of provisioning regime.
SBI raised its FY26 credit growth target to 12-14 percent, citing GST rationalisation, income tax slab changes and RBI relaxations as demand drivers; it expects to maintain a roughly 3 percent NIM with liability cost reduction and higher CASA share, but said further RBI rate cuts could prompt target revisions. The bank has enhanced lending capacity via a stake sale gain, capital raising and excess government securities, while monitoring asset quality as it transitions to an expected credit loss provisioning framework and plans to provide feedback to the RBI on draft norms.

Export of Fortified Rice Kernel links domestic nutrition programmes to international markets, promoting fortified food exports and market access.
APEDA facilitated the first export consignment of Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) from Chhattisgarh to Costa Rica, linking domestic nutrition programmes with international trade by supporting producers, millers and exporters to access new markets. The initiative highlights APEDA's role in technical facilitation and market expansion for fortified and value-added food products, and presents FRK-rice extruded with micronutrients and blended into regular rice-as a tradeable fortified food that advances India's agricultural export portfolio and food-security objectives.

Free Trade Agreement negotiations aim to conclude a fair, balanced deal this year and deepen supply-chain cooperation.
Commitments were made to conclude a Free Trade Agreement within the year, sustain a regular calendar of exchanges to advance negotiations, and implement operational measures to strengthen supply-chain linkages, enhance market access through collaboration on standards and testing, promote investment partnerships, develop a mobility toolkit, and intensify investor outreach to diversify production and build resilient supply chains.

Tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act face Supreme Court review over the scope of presidential authority.
Whether the president lawfully used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping import tariffs is before the Supreme Court after lower courts found the administration lacked IEEPA authority but left the tariffs in place pending review. The administration frames the case as an economic emergency and asserts alternative legal authorities and trade agreements could be used if the IEEPA basis is rejected.

India-EU free trade agreement negotiations focus on market access, services, and rules of origin to advance a balanced trade framework.
Negotiations toward an India-EU Free Trade Agreement have been intensified through high-level bilateral engagement to resolve outstanding trade, technical and institutional issues. Deliberations focus on trade in goods, trade in services, and rules of origin, alongside technical and policy matters to shape market access, regulatory alignment, and procedural cooperation, with institutional mechanisms and consultation channels established to progress negotiating modalities and follow-up.

Tariffs threaten export competitiveness; meeting urged tariff dialogue and targeted measures to improve market access and support exporters.
Officials and export sector representatives discussed measures to enhance export competitiveness in labour intensive industries, focusing on the adverse effect of high import tariffs by a trading partner, the role of tariff policy and coordinated government interventions-including tariff dialogue in bilateral negotiations, export promotion support, and regulatory or incentive measures-to sustain and boost export performance.

Trade negotiations suspension prompts diversification of partnerships, with progress on India and a roadmap for trade and critical minerals cooperation.
Canada is diversifying economic partnerships to reduce reliance on a single market after the suspension of trade negotiations, reporting progress with India, a free trade deal with Indonesia, talks with Southeast Asian partners, and a roadmap with India on trade, critical minerals and energy; these diplomatic and commercial measures are presented as phased policy tools to strengthen domestic resilience amid tariff pressures and bilateral dispute arising from a provincial anti tariff advertisement.

Russia's strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure cause civilian deaths and widespread blackouts, disrupting essential services.
Sustained Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure have produced civilian deaths, injuries, and extensive disruption to essential public services; rolling outages have impaired centralized systems providing water, sewage and heating, increasing humanitarian risk as winter approaches, while a tactical shift toward targeted attacks on energy and gas infrastructure using large drone salvos aims to overwhelm air defences and improve strike precision.

Tariff dispute prompts federal intervention and apology, halting trade talks and raising questions about executive tariff authority.
Federal leadership discouraged a provincial anti-tariff advertisement that offended a foreign head of state, prompting an apology and a pause in bilateral trade talks. The ad cited a former president to criticise current import tariffs and was alleged to be intended to influence pending judicial review of executive tariff authority. The federal leader stressed that foreign relations fall within federal responsibility, and the episode has immediate effects on tariff policy negotiations affecting trade-exposed sectors.

Tariff reduction agreed with China to ease trade frictions and lift export controls on strategic materials.
The two countries agreed to reduce tariffs and adjust export controls: China will ease rare earth export restrictions and expand agricultural imports, while the US will lift certain semiconductor export limits. These reciprocal measures aim to stabilise bilateral trade relations and were coupled with China's expressed support for multilateral trade governance and calls to update international trade rules with the WTO central to protecting developing countries' interests.

Trade tariff negotiations seek to resolve bilateral levies and restore stable economic ties, addressing EVs, canola and seafood.
Leaders directed officials to resolve trade irritants and pursue product-specific solutions addressing tariffs on electric vehicles, canola, seafood, steel and aluminium, with China offering to lift certain retaliatory levies if Canada withdraws its high EV tariffs; both sides emphasised pragmatic cooperation in economy, trade and energy and agreed to use the meeting as a turning point for restoring stable bilateral trade relations.

India Sri Lanka power grid connectivity talks advanced to finalise implementation modalities enabling electricity imports and renewable exports.
Negotiations address implementing a bilateral power grid interconnection concluded in April 2025, with senior power officials advancing technical and procedural implementation modalities to operationalise a transmission line that enables Sri Lanka to import electricity during shortages and export renewable energy, supporting grid stability and regional market integration.

APEC summit: commitments to defend free trade, stabilise supply chains, and pursue green industry cooperation amid trade tensions.
Commitments to defend free trade and uphold multilateral economic cooperation dominated APEC, with emphasis on supply chain stability, collaboration in green industries, and resisting protectionist drift. The summit combined bilateral de-escalation measures between major economies with broader efforts to harmonise regulations, build resilient production networks, and seek a collective communique amid divergent national trade strategies and competing priorities like AI governance and demographic change.

Long range drones strike refineries and logistics hubs, degrading fuel supplies and forcing wider defensive and logistical responses.
Ukraine's long range drone campaign has struck Russian refineries, fuel depots and logistics hubs with domestically produced platforms now reaching roughly 1,000 km, inflicting episodic reductions in refining capacity and causing domestic fuel shortages while many plants resumed operations; the strikes aim to attrit logistics and disperse air defence commitments, operate independently of foreign approvals, and rely on low cost, improvised production despite limited mission success rates and attendant personnel risks.

Tariff reduction improves Chinese export competitiveness after trade truce, but global uncertainty limits manufacturing recovery.
Manufacturing activity remained in contraction for a seventh month with PMI below the expansion threshold. A US-China trade truce includes tariff reductions expected to restore some export competitiveness to Chinese goods in the US, though observers characterise the measures as preventing further deterioration rather than producing a strong recovery. Policy objectives emphasise shifting away from investment-led manufacturing toward higher-tech industries and stronger domestic consumption while addressing excess capacity; a weak property market is dampening confidence and investment.

APEC summit focuses on multilateralism, trade de tente, supply chain stability and coordinated responses on AI and demographics.
China advocated preserving multilateralism and free trade at APEC after bilateral concessions with the US aimed at easing trade tensions; the measures-tariff reductions by the US and Chinese commitments on rare earth exports and agricultural purchases-are presented as stabilising steps. The article stresses member concerns about supply chain stability, green-technology export impacts, and the need for cooperative APEC responses on AI, demographic challenges, and harmonised standards, while noting procedural difficulties in issuing a joint communique.

APEC summit: leaders agree steps to ease trade tensions, urging regulatory harmonisation and cooperation on AI and demographics.
Summit participants responded to US-China steps to ease trade tensions by stressing preservation of free and open trade, resisting protectionism, and pursuing multilateral regulatory harmonisation and coordinated standards for digital innovation; host priorities included cooperative AI policy, demographic response sharing, and formulating joint growth strategies, while the prospect of a unified nonbinding declaration reflected divergent member positions.