Greenland tariffs: European leaders condemn threatened US duties as coercive and harmful to sovereignty and transatlantic relations.
European leaders rejected threatened US tariffs tied to a prospective American takeover of Greenland as coercive and inconsistent with the view that Greenland's status is a matter for Greenlanders and Denmark under international law. The British Prime Minister condemned proposed 10-25% import duties on allied states as improper leverage against NATO security cooperation, warned of damage to transatlantic relations, and signalled direct diplomatic engagement and coordinated European consultations in response.

EU Mercosur free trade agreement: phased tariff elimination, agricultural quotas, environmental conditions, and pending EU ratification.
The EU and Mercosur signed a free trade agreement providing for the progressive elimination of more than 90% of tariffs via staggered timelines, establishing strict quotas for sensitive agricultural imports, coupling market access with environmental and production-related regulatory conditions, and including subsidy and safeguard measures for affected agricultural sectors; final entry into force is contingent on EU parliamentary ratification while Mercosur ratification faces broad regional support.

Tariffs on eight European countries are proposed as leverage over Greenland, citing national security and emergency economic powers.
A presidential announcement imposing a 10 percent tariff (rising to 25 percent if no purchase deal is reached) on imports from eight European countries uses trade measures as leverage over Greenland, invoking potential reliance on emergency economic powers and raising questions about executive authority, applicability against an EU single economic zone, and risks to transatlantic relations and alliance cooperation.

EU-Mercosur free trade agreement signed, strengthening commercial ties amid global protectionism and geopolitical and resource competition.
Signature of a free trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc concludes protracted negotiations and establishes a legal framework to deepen commercial ties by expanding market access, reducing barriers, and responding to rising global protectionism through codified trade liberalization commitments.

Tariffs on eight European countries announced: 10% from February, rising to 25% if Greenland sale not secured.
Announcement imposes a 10 per cent import tariff from February on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, rising to 25 per cent on June 1 unless a deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland, linking tariff escalation to the status of territorial acquisition negotiations.

Greenland faces US threats of takeover and tariffs; Denmark affirms sovereignty and increases military and diplomatic measures.
Threats by the US President to assert control over Greenland and to impose tariffs on allies prompted political and security responses emphasizing sovereignty and alliance obligations. Denmark increased military presence, planned NATO Arctic training, and cited Danish rules of engagement to deter unilateral action. Meetings between Danish, Greenlandic and US officials agreed to form a working group, while congressional statements urged de escalation and affirmed that decisions on Greenland's status are for Denmark and Greenland alone.

Hydroponic weed seized at Mumbai airport; 61 kg recovered and suspects booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Customs operations between January 9 and 16 seized 61 kg of hydroponic weed in 16 cases-including concealment in life vest packets and multiple seizures from passengers arriving from Bangkok-valued at about Rs 61 crore, and the suspects were booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act; concurrent seizures included undeclared 24 karat gold, diamonds and foreign currency.

Trade: US lawmakers urge lower Indian tariffs on pulse crops; US sentences man for illegal export of aviation parts.
US lawmakers urged the President to seek lower Indian tariffs on pulse crops to address competitive disadvantages for American producers, while a separate enforcement action saw an Indian national sentenced to 30 months in US custody for conspiring to export controlled aviation components to Russia, illustrating criminal enforcement of export control regulations.

Punjab named leader state in Export Preparedness Index; policy reforms and infrastructure upgrades boosted export readiness.
Punjab was named a leader state in the Export Preparedness Index 2024 for improvements across policy framework, business environment, export ecosystem and export performance, ranking second among landlocked states. The state's progress is attributed to sector-specific industrial policies, ease-of-doing-business reforms, institutional strengthening, MSME support, and infrastructure and connectivity upgrades addressing logistical constraints to enhance export readiness.

US Congressional delegation reassures Denmark and Greenland amid presidential threats to use tariffs over Greenland.
A bipartisan US Congressional delegation sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland after a presidential threat to impose tariffs to secure a US takeover of Greenland, emphasising de-escalation, respect for Denmark as a NATO ally, and denial of current security threats; diplomatic talks yielded a working group with divergent public descriptions and reinforced Danish insistence that Greenland's future is for Denmark and Greenland to decide, highlighting tensions over territorial sovereignty, alliance trust, and the use of trade policy as coercion.

Foreign news roundup: US lawmakers push for lower Indian pulse tariffs and China reduces US debt holdings.
A foreign-news roundup emphasizes trade and security developments: US lawmakers urging tariff reductions on Indian pulses as a trade priority for American producers; enforcement action in the US for illegal export of controlled aviation parts to Russia; China's reduction of US Treasury holdings in favor of gold and overseas equities; and parallel items on a US presidential claim regarding India-Pakistan hostilities, appointment to a Gaza redevelopment board, an Indian naval port call in Singapore, communal violence in Bangladesh, and Pakistani counterterror operations in Balochistan.

Apple imports: ban during July-November and 100% off-season duty urged to protect domestic growers and prices.
The Chief Minister requested a ban on apple imports from July to November and proposed raising the import duty to 100% in off-season months to protect about 2.5 lakh growers. He noted a 2.5-fold rise in imports over ten years, that New Zealand apples enter April-August at 25% tariff while other months face 50% duty, and warned that free trade agreements and increased imports could depress prices for cold-stored and off-season apples.

Ganja seizure at IGI Airport: 8.77 kg seized and two passengers arrested under NDPS Act.
Customs officers diverted two arriving passengers from the Green Channel for X-ray screening and detailed baggage examination, recovered nine polythene pouches containing a green narcotic substance weighing 8.77 kg, conducted a diagnostic field test that prima facie indicated ganja/marijuana, seized the substance and packaging, assessed its international market value at about Rs 8.771 crore, and arrested the passengers under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Merchandise exports face headwinds from a stalled trade deal and US tariff measures, with tea and basmati rice notably exposed.
Merchandise exports face downside risks from a stalled US India trade deal and potential US levies tied to Russian crude purchases; tea and basmati rice are particularly exposed to a 25 percent US tariff on countries trading with Iran. CRISIL projects the current account will remain manageable-supported by a services surplus, remittances, and softer oil-despite a widening merchandise trade deficit as export growth lags imports and exports to the US slow, with export concentration in items like smartphones noted.

Legal developments: prosecution appointments, bail proceedings, raids, international export enforcement actions, and trade-tariff advocacy.
Multiple enforcement and prosecutorial actions are reported: a Kerala sexual-assault prosecution involved a contested bail application by an expelled legislator; the state appointed a special public prosecutor in a nun rape case with the alleged victim acknowledging the appointment. Police conducted multi-district raids against an alleged cattle-smuggling network and security forces engaged in a counterinsurgency encounter. Separately, a US criminal proceeding addressed illegal export of controlled aviation parts to Russia, and US lawmakers urged tariff changes on pulse crops in trade talks.

Postal exports eligible for Duty Drawback, RoDTEP and RoSCTL from 15 January 2026, boosting MSME competitiveness.
CBIC has extended export incentives to postal-mode exports in electronic form effective 15 January 2026, permitting claims under Duty Drawback, RoDTEP and RoSCTL. The extension is effected by amendments to the Postal Export (Electronic Declaration and Processing) Regulations, 2022 and by Notification No.07/2026 Customs (N.T.) and Circular No.01/2026 Customs, which set out the operational modalities for claiming these benefits for goods exported through the postal route.

US lawmakers urge Trump to seek lower Indian tariffs on pulse crops to address competitive disadvantages for US producers.
US legislators urge negotiation of tariff reductions and favorable pulse-crop provisions in bilateral trade talks, stating that India's duties - including a 30% tariff on yellow peas - create an unfair tariff regime that places US pulse producers at a significant competitive disadvantage and that market-access commitments would benefit both American exporters and Indian consumers.

Illegal export of controlled aviation components to Russia via false end user claims violated export control laws and led to criminal charges.
The matter concerns a conspiracy to export controlled aviation navigation and flight control components to Russia in violation of the Export Control Reform Act, effected by falsely claiming domestic end users and civilian use to obtain licensable dual use items such as an AHRS. The scheme involved procurement from a US supplier, detention of the component before export, subsequent arrest, indictment on conspiracy, attempted illegal export and false statement charges, and a guilty plea to a conspiracy count regarding sale of export controlled aviation components to Russian end users.

EU Mercosur trade pact creates one of world's largest free trade zones with preferential agricultural market access.
The EU Mercosur agreement establishes a comprehensive free trade area granting South American nations enhanced market access to the EU under preferential tariff treatment, contemplates accession pathways for additional regional members, and combines tariff liberalization for agricultural sectors with institutional mechanisms and political signaling relevant to regional trade governance.

US tariff threats over Greenland could be used to coerce international support for territorial control.
The executive indicated the possible use of tariffs as punitive measures against countries that do not support U.S. efforts to assume control of Greenland, framing such trade measures as justified by national security concerns and signalling the use of trade policy as leverage in a territorial dispute.