Recent executive orders signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump are poised to disrupt Indian pharmaceutical exports and trigger a restructuring of global drug supply chains, according to a report by Nuvama Research. The orders focus on reshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing to the United States, encouraging domestic production of medicines, APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), KSMs (Key Starting Materials), and raw materials. This move could significantly undermine the competitive advantage long enjoyed by Indian drugmakers, particularly in the generics sector, where India has led with its cost-effective production and global export dominance. Referred to as the ‘pharmacy of the world,’ India supplies…

U.S. imports and exports have fallen sharply, approaching the lows experienced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent trade data. The downturn follows the implementation of new tariffs under former President Donald Trump’s trade policy, which has disrupted supply chains and triggered a marked decline in both inbound and outbound shipping activity. Trade analytics firm Vizion reported that what initially began as a major drop in U.S. imports has now extended to exports, with particular impact on the agricultural sector. American farm products such as soybeans, corn, and beef have been hit hard, with declining container bookings…

Global food commodity prices rose in April, led by increased costs of cereals, meat, and dairy products, according to the latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The FAO Food Price Index averaged 128.3 points for the month, marking a 1.0% rise from March and a 7.6% increase compared to April last year. The index monitors monthly price changes across a basket of internationally traded food commodities. The Cereal Price Index climbed by 1.2%, driven by several factors. Wheat prices edged up due to tightening exportable supplies from the Russian Federation. Rice prices increased…

Taiwan currency surged by an unprecedented 8% over two days, marking its sharpest rise in years, as markets reacted to shifting trade dynamics and declining confidence in the U.S. dollar. The rally, which took the Taiwan dollar to its strongest close in more than two years at 30.145 against the U.S. dollar on Monday, reflects broader concerns about the future of global trade and capital flows amid President Donald Trump’s tariff-focused trade policies. Despite the Taiwan central bank’s longstanding efforts to curb volatility, the currency appreciated sharply as exporters, insurers, and investors rapidly offloaded their U.S. dollar holdings. Traders noted…

Tensions between India and Pakistan have spilled into international airspace following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. The attack is the most severe since the 2019 Pulwama incident and has led to significant diplomatic and logistical repercussions, including disruptions in aviation routes as global airlines avoid Pakistani airspace. Flight tracking data reviewed on Monday showed that several major international carriers, including Lufthansa and Air France, have begun rerouting flights to bypass Pakistan. The move comes after India closed its airspace to Pakistani carriers, prompting reciprocal restrictions from Pakistan. While Islamabad has continued to allow international…

Japan has made clear that it will not enter into a trade agreement with the United States unless all newly imposed tariffs are comprehensively reviewed. The position was reaffirmed by Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s top trade negotiator, upon his return from the second round of ministerial-level talks in Washington. Speaking to reporters after briefing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Akazawa stated, “We have pressed the United States to reconsider all of the series of tariff measures, and we cannot reach an agreement if that is not properly addressed in a package.” His remarks underscore the current deadlock in trade negotiations, with both…

Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old billionaire investor and long-serving CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has officially announced his retirement, marking the end of a legendary era in American business. In his nearly five-hour address, Buffett stressed a stern warning about the ongoing U.S. trade war, which he described as economically damaging and contrary to national interest. “Trade should not be a weapon,” he stated, calling for the United States to strengthen global trade ties instead of isolating itself. Without naming any political figures, Buffett’s remarks were widely interpreted as a rebuke of the tariff policies introduced under President Trump, which have sparked…

The US Ex-Im Bank (Export-Import) has voted unanimously to lift long-standing restrictions on financing foreign coal-fired power plants, marking a significant policy shift following an executive order by President Donald Trump. The move ends a 12-year policy that had effectively halted Ex-Im’s support for coal projects abroad unless they included carbon capture technology. The restrictions, introduced in 2013 in response to legal action by Friends of the Earth, had aligned Ex-Im’s lending practices with environmental standards aimed at curbing emissions from coal, the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel. However, Trump’s recent directive called on Ex-Im and other federal agencies to ensure…

The World Bank has projected a 12% decline in global commodity prices in 2025, followed by a further 5% drop in 2026, as weakening global economic growth and intensifying trade tensions weigh on demand. This downturn is expected to bring commodity prices, adjusted for inflation, back to their 2015–2019 average, the lowest in real terms for the 2020s. According to the latest Commodity Markets Outlook, this marks the end of the price surge driven by the post-COVID economic rebound and supply disruptions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The easing of prices is likely to alleviate short-term inflationary pressures,…

The European Central Bank (ECB) is grappling with heightened inflation expectations as global trade tensions intensify, raising concerns about price stability across the eurozone. The ECB’s latest consumer survey reveals a major change in public sentiment, placing increased pressure on the institution to navigate an increasingly uncertain economic landscape. According to the ECB’s monthly survey involving approximately 19,000 consumers across 11 eurozone countries, inflation expectations for the next 12 months have climbed to 2.9%, up from 2.6% in the previous month. Expectations for inflation over the next three years also edged up, rising to 2.5% from 2.4%. These figures were…