Iranian students staged street protests in Tehran a day after the capital's shopkeepers demonstrated against economic hardship and won a message of understanding from the president. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/31/world/students-join-iran-demonstrations/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #iran #inflation #trade
New Year's Eve revelers will toast the end of 2025 on Wednesday, waving goodbye to 12 months packed with Trump tariffs, a Gaza truce and vain hopes for peace in Ukraine. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/31/world/2025-trump-truces-turmoil/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #donaldtrump #trade #tariffs #2026winterolympics #russiaukrainewar #space #israelhamaswar #australia #massshootings
Barely a decade after President Barack Obama announced a “pivot” to Asia, the United States' commitment to the region is as tenuous as the days of the Vietnam War. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/29/world/asia-adrift-alone/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #us #donaldtrump #trade #defense #china #southkorea #vietnam #southkoreajapanrelations
On the diplomatic stage, Chinese President Xi Jinping projected strength, but beneath the diplomatic victories, he still has plenty of worries at home — from structural economic vulnerabilities to a personnel purge. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/29/asia-pacific/politics/xi-trump-china-troubles/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #china #xijinping #trade #uschinarelations #tech
China is still restricting the rare earth elements that the U.S. needs to produce its own permanent magnets and other products even after President Donald Trump reached a deal to lift restrictions. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/26/us-rare-earth-china-curbs/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #us #china #trade #rareearths #uschinarelations
The U.S. has accused China of engaging in unfair trade practices in the semiconductor sector, but is holding off on imposing additional tariffs on chip imports until at least mid-2027. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/24/tech/us-hold-off-china-chip-tariffs/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #tech #uschinarelations #us #china #tech #chipmakers #tariffs #trade
Some assume China’s trade war with the United States would cut emissions by shifting production abroad, but it has instead raised carbon dioxide emissions in developing and advanced economies alike. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/24/world/trade-wars-are-planet-destroying/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #china #chineseeconomy #tariffs #trade #pollution #carbonemissions #climatechange #us
Governments such as Japan and their businesses must forge stronger relationships in a world dominated by economic security. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/24/japan/a-new-era-new-public-private-partnerships/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #japaneseeconomy #economicsecurity #nationalsecurity #publicsector #privatesector #businesses #supplychains #trade #us #keidanren #meti #defense
Japan and the U.S. held a second consultation meeting on Japan’s $550 billion investment pledge, with both Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick attending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/24/economy/550-billion-consultation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #ryoseiakazawa #tariffs #donaldtrump #trade #carmakers #us #japaneseeconomy #usjapanrelations
U.S. President Donald Trump shook up global trade this year. Here’s what to look out for in 2026. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/24/economy/trump-global-trade-2026-outlook/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #us #trade #tariffs #economicindicators #globaleconomy
Indonesia and the U.S. have agreed on all substantial issues related to a tariff deal, paving the way for the signing of an agreement at the end of January, Indonesia's chief negotiator has said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/23/economy/indonesia-us-tariff-deal/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #indonesia #us #trade #tariffs #southeastasia #donaldtrump
Beijing’s expansion of export controls on rare earth elements could redefine global production. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/23/world/china-weaponized-rare-earths/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #rareearths #supplychains #china #trade #defense #chinajapanrelations #chineseeconomy #japaneseeconomy #globaleconomy
"... NZ First leader Winston Peters described it as a "low-quality deal" and was withholding his support.
His party exercised the agree to disagree provision of its coalition arrangements when Cabinet approval for the deal was sought last week, and made it clear that it would vote against enabling legislation if and when it was introduced to Parliament."
#LillianHanly, 2025
Well isn't that interesting. They can "agree to disagree" on a trade treaty, but not the RSB 🤔
Got to love how news media report extensively the party political drama surrounding these trade treaties, but never seem to report the details of them. What's been offered or given up by each side, and why? Surely those are the most important details of the story.
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A revamp of China's electricity market is boosting the economics of storing power right when international demand is surging, sparking a boom for the Chinese energy storage manufacturers that already globally dominate. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/22/tech/china-reforms-battery-boom/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #tech #china #batteries #tech #artificialintelligence #trade
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen was supposed to sign the European Union’s largest free-trade agreement on Saturday, proving the bloc’s standing as a geoeconomic force. That didn't happen. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/22/economy/europe-stumbles-trump-world-order/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #eu #southamerica #trade #us #china #donaldtrump #agriculture #italy #globaleconomy
China is again limiting yuan gains to protect exports and manage economic weakness, but resisting a gradual appreciation risks trade tensions and forgoing benefits to domestic demand. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/18/world/push-for-stronger-yuan-continues/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #china #yuan #peoplesbankofchina #forex #trade #monetarypolicy #inflation
A more robust defense industry depends on a trustworthy security clearance system. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/17/japan/japan-sets-pace-for-economic-security/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #defense #japaneseeconomy #meti #technology #supplychains #trade
Japan has long had some of the world’s strictest restrictions on arms exports. But things are set to change radically — as early as next spring — amid an increasingly fraught regional security environment. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/17/japan/politics/japan-arms-exports-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishin #sdf #defense #diet #defenseministry #nationalsecuritycouncil #trade #china #gcap #usmilitary #us #sanaetakaichi
US threatens EU digital services market access
Demand in the U.S. and EU offset a drop in shipments to China to help Japan's exports rise in November by the most since February. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/17/economy/export-increase-november/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #us #trade #financeministry #boj #japaneseeconomy