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The China factor behind the Iran war

The war between the United States and Iran is no longer just a confrontation between Washington and Tehran. A second contest is taking shape alongside and behind it. China is not fighting the United States directly, but its economic, technological and diplomatic links to Iran are complicating Washington’s strategy and ability to win the conflict. […]

The post The China factor behind the Iran war appeared first on Asia Times.

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Corn, wheat prices surge to multi-year highs on divergent supply threats

CHICAGO: Corn and wheat futures have rallied to their highest prices in more than three years, though the factors driving the gains for each crop remain distinctly different. Wheat futures settled Friday at $7.84 per bushel, up 3.1% on the day, after hitting an intraday peak of $7.9025, the highest level since Feb. 14, 2023. ... Read more

The post Corn, wheat prices surge to multi-year highs on divergent supply threats appeared first on BOL News.

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EU imports of goods outpace exports in Q2 2026

In the second quarter of 2026, the EU recorded a trade deficit of €21.8 billion, as goods imported from non-EU countries (€701.8 billion) exceeded exports (€680.0 billion). This is the first trade deficit registered since the second quarter of 2023, the last of a series of deficits fuelled by soaring energy costs observed between late 2021 and mid-2023.

The deficit in the trade balance was primarily due to an increase in the deficit on energy products (from -€71.3 billion in Q1 2026 to -€101.1 billion in Q2 2026), raw materials (from -€7.9 billion to -€9.4 billion) and other manufactured goods (from -€8.3 billion to -€9.1 billion). Additionally, there was a reduction in the surplus of machinery and vehicles (from €24.9 billion in Q1 2026 to €23.2 billion) and other goods (from €11.6 billion to €9.1 billion). 

On the other hand, there were surplus increases for chemicals (from €47.1 billion to €54.0 billion) and food and drinks (from €10.7 billion to €11.5 billion). 

Click to enlarge

EU trade balance for goods, by product group, Q1 2021-Q2 2026 (€ billion, seasonally adjusted data). Bar chart for product groups and line chart for total trade balance. Link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: ext_st_eu27_2020sitc

Overall, exports increased by 5.4% (+€34.9 billion) and imports by 9.9% (+€63.4 billion) compared with the previous quarter. 

Exports and imports had been declining since the second quarter of 2025, a trend that halted in the first quarter of 2026. Those declines had been partly attributed to tariff tensions. 

Click to enlarge

EU trade in goods, Q1 2021-Q2 2026 (% quarterly growth rate, seasonally adjusted data). Bar chart. Link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: ext_st_eu27_2020sitc

For more information

Methodological note

Products are defined according to the standard international trade classification (SITC). The main categories are:

  • food, drinks and tobacco (Sections 0 and 1 - including live animals);
  • raw materials (Sections 2 and 4);
  • energy products (Section 3);
  • chemicals and related products (Section 5 - including pharmaceuticals and plastics);
  • machinery and transport equipment (Section 7);
  • other manufactured goods (Sections 6 and 8);
  • other goods (Section 9).

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