The federal government has approved the restoration of international trade in gold and other precious metals after reviewing the trade policy through the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). The decision reinstates the entrustment and consignment policies, allowing jewellery exports through both initial imports and local purchases, pending final approval by the federal cabinet. The ECC meeting, chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, was attended by Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, and senior officials from key ministries and regulatory bodies. During the session, the…

Top economic officials from the U.S. and China began talks in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to prevent a renewed escalation of their trade war, The Sun reported. The discussions aim to pave the way for a meeting next week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to the report, the talks, held on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, are expected to determine a path forward following Trump’s threat to impose new 100% tariffs on Chinese goods. The tariffs and other trade restrictions are set to take effect on November 1,…

India aims to strengthen its position in the global rice trade, setting an ambitious goal of capturing up to 55–60% of the world market share, according to Prem Garg, Chairman of Shri Lal Mahal Group and National President of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF). Speaking to ANI ahead of the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025, Garg described the upcoming event as a major milestone for the Indian rice industry and a key opportunity for global collaboration. “Never in the past a conference of this magnitude was held in India. Conferences used to happen, but at small scale,” he…

As autumn arrives in Guangzhou, the 138th China Import and Export Fair, widely known as the Canton Fair, has opened its doors, bringing together merchants and buyers from across the world. The event, which began on October 15, is celebrated as the ‘barometer’ and ‘weather vane’ of China’s foreign trade, setting new records this year with 74,600 booths and more than 32,000 exhibitors. During the evolving global trade landscape, the fair underscores China’s growing role in international economic cooperation and innovation. More than 1 million new products are being showcased, alongside 1.1 million items with independent intellectual property rights, including…

South Africa is intensifying efforts to expand its agricultural export footprint in Asia, targeting Indonesia’s $29 billion import market as part of a high-level trade mission to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The delegation aims to strengthen market access for key products such as wine, beef, and fruit while pursuing broader trade diversification across the region. According to Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), Indonesia is central to this strategy. Although Indonesia currently represents only 0.3% of South Africa’s global agricultural exports, valued at around $39 million out of $13.7 billion in 2024, the…

Prime Minister Mark Carney has set an ambitious target to double Canada’s non-U.S. exports within the next decade, warning that rising American tariffs are discouraging investment and undermining long-standing economic ties. Speaking ahead of his government’s budget release on November 4, Carney said many of Canada’s former economic strengths, rooted in close relations with the United States, have now become liabilities. “The jobs of workers in our industries, most affected by U.S. tariffs, autos, steel, and lumber, are under threat. Our businesses are holding back investments, restrained by the pall of uncertainty that is hanging over all of us,” he…

Following the Trump–Albanese minerals pact announced last week, the Export–Import Bank of the United States (U.S. Exim) has issued $2.2 billion in letters of interest to fund seven Australian critical-minerals projects. The move signals the first phase of implementation under the bilateral framework. The LOIs were issued to Arafura Rare Earths, Northern Minerals, Graphinex, La Trobe Magnesium, VHM, RZ Resources, and Sunrise Energy Metals. These projects focus on key minerals such as rare earth elements, graphite, magnesium, titanium, and scandium, all vital for defence systems, aerospace, advanced communications, and next-generation industrial technologies. The letters were signed in Washington, D.C., on…

U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally assured him India would phase out Russian oil imports completely by the end of this year. This follows Trump’s earlier assertion last week that India had agreed to halt its purchases of Russian crude. Speaking at the White House alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump said the move would be gradual but decisive. “India, as you know, told me that they would stop. It is a process; you can’t just stop it. But by the end of the year, they will be down to almost nothing. That’s a…

India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has urged nations of the Global South to unite and present a collective voice to address rising uncertainty, inequality, and distrust in the global trading system. Speaking at the 16th Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva on Wednesday, Goyal warned that the rules-based multilateral order was being undermined by unilateral measures, protectionist barriers, and non-market practices. Goyal said the world was facing “an era of profound trust deficit” that extended across multilateral institutions, international organizations, and sovereign states. He cautioned that tariff and non-tariff barriers, as…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he expects to reach a “good” trade agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their planned meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea next week. However, he cautioned that the encounter could still be called off. Speaking at a lunch with Republican senators at the White House, Trump said, “So now we’re going to have a fair deal, and I think we’re going to have a very successful meeting. Certainly, there are a lot of people who are waiting for it.” He added, however, “Maybe it won’t happen.…