30 Sep 2023

NCBFAA Briefs Members on What to Expect from CBP and PGAs During Government Shutdown

NCBFAA Regulatory Agencies Committee (RAC) Chair Mike Lahar, Vice Chair Karen Damon, and Counsel Cindy Thomas briefed members about the expected response to the government shutdown by the following PGAs: Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—Overall, the FDA will do better than most federal agencies, retaining approximately 80 percent of its workforce, due in part to […]

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12 Sep 2023

China’s imports from Russia surge to record high, bucking overall decline in purchases of foreign goods

China’s imports from Russia surged to $11.5 billion in August, the highest monthly haul in over two decades, despite an overall decline in its purchases of foreign goods. The surge comes as trade between the two neighbors’ booms in the wake of Western sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Bilateral trade between China […]

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11 Sep 2023

The Americas at a Crossroad

The philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset once said, “We do not know what is happening to us, and that is precisely the thing that is happening to us.” This quote is apt for the current state of the Americas, where technological transformation, massive migration, rampant crime, and sluggish economies are remaking politics and weakening democratic […]

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10 Sep 2023

Container activity remains high at China’s major ports despite declining exports to the U.S.

Despite declining exports to its main market, the United States, container activity remains high at China’s major ports. This is because the country has found new buyers elsewhere, such as Europe, India, the Middle East, and South America. Deflation has also become an asset for Chinese exports, as it lowers importers’ prices. Figures from the […]

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30 Aug 2023

U.S. Economy Shows Signs of Recovery as Inflation Cools and GDP Grows

  Recent Inflation Developments The Federal Reserve’s Strategy to Tame Inflation The Federal Reserve is making progress in its efforts to tame inflation. Headline inflation has slowed from its peak of 8.9% in June 2022 to 3.3% in July 2023. This deceleration has been driven by lower food and energy prices. Core inflation, which excludes […]

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27 Aug 2023

BRICS Expands to Accelerate Growth

The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), trade bloc is expanding its market reach beyond the West in response to slowing demand. At a summit in Johannesburg this week, the five member nations voted to bring six more countries into the fold: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. […]

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11 Aug 2023

China Urges US to Revoke Trade Agreement with Taiwan

China has expressed strong opposition to “official interaction of any form” between the US and Taiwan and called on Washington to revoke a bilateral trade agreement with Taipei. “The US move violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, contravenes the US’s own commitment of maintaining only unofficial relations with Taiwan,” China’s Foreign […]

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10 Aug 2023

Trade Suffers Harsh Impact as Global Export Leaders Face Turbulent Times

As experts analyze the potential for economic downturns in major global economies, a plethora of recent data underscores the existing downturn in global trade. China, the world’s largest exporter, recently reported the most significant contraction in overseas shipments since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in February 2020. Germany, the third-largest global exporter, experienced a […]

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