I was in Berlin this week for a conference on the EU’s relationship with Africa in the context of the continent’s growing ties with external actors, many of whom Europe finds acutely worrying.
The conference eerily landed on the second anniversary of the October 7 attack in Israel. I was in Berlin two years ago as well. In the weeks after the attack, one could see how Western powers’ ...
Category: Tariffs
Geely Starts Assembly in Indonesia as the U.S. and EU Tariffs Rise
Geely, the Chinese carmaker, has begun knock-down (KD) assembly in Indonesia through its unit Geely Auto Indonesia. The work is taking place at a plant in West Java. The company says building locally will shorten delivery times for Indonesian buyers. ...
Trump Tariffs Boosting Nigerian E-Commerce Giant
The CEO of the Nigerian e-commerce company Jumia says the Trump administration’s tariffs are easing its access to Chinese manufacturers. Francis Dufay told Bloomberg that trade barriers in the U.S. are forcing Chinese suppliers to find other markets, which benefits Nigerian consumers. This is strengthening Jumia’s hand ...
U.S. Tariffs Hit China’s Exports; Pressure Rises in Southeast Asia
China’s exports to the United States fell 25% between April and August 2025, about $57 billion, yet shipments redirected to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe helped offset the hit, a recent UNDP study finds. Southeast Asia took the most significant ...
Sheinbaum Denies Tariff Rise Is Chinese ‘Coercion’
Mexico's president denied Friday that a proposed new tariff of up to 50 percent on imports from certain countries was a coercive measure targeting China. Beijing said Thursday it "firmly opposes any coercion" after President Claudia Sheinbaum announced higher duties on ...
China Gets Second 0% Tariff Path to Chile EV Market via Indonesia
China now has two ways to sell electric cars in the Chile EV market without an import tax. Besides the China–Chile trade deal, Chile said EVs (electric vehicles) made in Indonesia can also enter at 0% under IC-CEPA (Indonesia–Chile ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Under U.S. Pressure, Mexico Mulling 50% Tariff on Chinese Cars
Mexico, under pressure not to serve as a back door for Chinese goods entering the United States, has proposed a 50-percent duty on car imports from the Asian giant -- up from 15-20 percent. The initiative, contained in a bill submitted ...
Indonesia Backs Xi’s Global Governance Initiative at BRICS Meet
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has thrown his support behind Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposals at a BRICS virtual leaders’ meeting last night. The statement is aligning Southeast Asia’s largest economy more closely with Beijing’s call to defend multilateralism and reject ...
BRICS Leaders Denounce Protectionism, Tariff ‘Blackmail’
Leaders of the 11-member BRICS bloc railed against economic protectionism and "tariff blackmail" during a virtual meeting Monday held amid a damaging trade war with US President Donald Trump. The group of emerging economies met via videoconference at the initiative of ...
Xi Jinping to Address BRICS Online Summit on Tackling U.S. Tariffs
China confirmed President Xi Jinping will attend today’s BRICS leaders’ online summit, hosted by Brazil, and deliver a speech. The meeting reportedly will focus on U.S. tariff actions and the future of multilateral trade rules. Russia’s Vladimir Putin will ...
China Redirects Exports to Thailand as U.S. Tariffs Bite
China is redirecting billions of dollars’ worth of exports into Thailand as new U.S. tariffs make access to the American market more difficult, raising concerns about widening trade deficits and the future of Thai industries. Thailand could face the highest ...
Chinese Foreign Minister Pledges Support for Brazil in Tariff Fight
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China would support Brazil “in defending its right to development and opposing the bullying practices of arbitrary tariffs,” according to China Daily. He made the comments during a phone call with Celso Amorim, chief advisor to the president of Brazil.
South Africa Explores China Connections as U.S. Tariffs Loom
South Africa is scrambling to soften the blow of 30% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. The measure, scheduled to come into effect on August 7, endangers 30,000 jobs. The government said it is preparing a package to shield businesses from the impact, which will be unveiled ...