With a new 90-day tariff window, companies are ramping up production. While economists are still expecting a slowdown despite the temporary trade agreement, businesses are resuming factory operations and starting to ship goods. With a surge in shipping demand expected, there’s the potential for higher costs and delays. Some companies plan to reverse price increases and start producing again, while others are simply modifying their product lines in order to manage production schedules. And some are stocking up on products...

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Diminished Duties on China, a Fresh Framework for U.S.-UK Trade Relations, and Other Recent Tariff Updates May 16, 2025 Following the introduction and partial recission of the “Liberation Day” tariffs last month, the latest U.S. government actions have largely—though not universally—continued down the path of an easing tariff burden. Of particular note, the U.S. and Chinese governments recently concluded their first direct trade negotiations since the imposition of reciprocal tariffs, resulting in a mutual agreement to reduce tariff rates for the first time in the...

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European Commission launches strategic dialogues with defence and chemical industries On Monday, 12 May, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen initiated the first-ever strategic dialogues in Brussels with top representatives from Europe’s defence and chemical industries. These crucial meetings aimed to identify shared challenges and map out strategies to significantly enhance the competitiveness, resilience, and innovation of these vital sectors. Thus, safeguarding European security and economic prosperity in the current evolving global landscape. The Defence industry dialogue The first of these high-level...

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