Global Scans · Trade · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Global trade policies could be upended with a new President in the White House, Brexit, a potential break-up of the European Union and China reacting to these changes in profound ways.

• [New] Both India and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), an Asia-Pacific free-trade agreement, will account for over 35% of global GDP by 2050. Siemens
• [New] CBAM aims to level the playing field for European industries by imposing equivalent carbon costs on imported goods, reducing the risk of carbon leakage, and incentivising global decarbonization. Degroof Petercam Asset Management
• [New] Washington might strike Iran's key energy infrastructure, including its main oil export hub at Kharg Island, oil wells, and power plants, if no deal is reached and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. SeafoodNews
• [New] The United States will expand transatlantic defence industrial cooperation and reduce defence trade barriers 70. FRS
• [New] The export of clean energy technologies and digital infrastructure will become a tool for strengthening ties with the Global South.
• [New] Higher petrol prices would tighten household budgets and reduce real consumer spending, but higher liquified natural gas (LNG) prices would lift export revenue and could raise national income in aggregate if Australia's overall terms of trade were to increase as a result. Reserve Bank of Australia
• [New] As global trade becomes more unpredictable and regulations grow more complex, customs and trade management are rapidly rising to the top of the strategic agenda for European manufacturers. Customs Support Group
• [New] President Trump warned BRICS nations of 100% tariffs if they pursued dollar alternatives across certain critical trade sectors. BRICS
• [New] In the wake of a Canada-China agreement to lower tariffs on canola and other agricultural goods, we expect momentum to build in Saskatchewan's economy. BDC.ca
• [New] In the horizon up to 2035, the United States plans to provide financial loans and technical instruments to the private sector through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and the United States Trade and Development Agency. PIR Center
• [New] The entry of the Houthis, who control Yemen's most populous areas, poses a direct threat to the Bab al-Mandab strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, a second major choke point in the supply chain of energy supplies and other trade in and out of the Middle East. The Guardian
• [New] The US strike on Iran introduces a new layer of uncertainty around oil prices, supply chains, and regional trade flows that could weigh on economic sentiment in the weeks and months ahead. Ipsos
• [New] The European Union has threatened to deploy its Anti-Coercion Instrument in response to U.S. tariff policies. Libertify.com
• [New] Adding to uncertainty, Russian producers have warned of potential export disruptions from Baltic Sea routes following continued attacks on energy infrastructure, further tightening the global supply outlook. Ag Bull Trading
• [New] US trade policy risk: Supreme Court limits broad tariff authority, and the administration signals alternative trade actions, spooking markets and adding to risk-off sentiment in February. Saward Dawson
• [New] Global supply chain integration for critical minerals export reduces Canadian dependence on southern transportation networks potentially vulnerable to international disruptions. Discovery Alert
• [New] India will need to issue several urea import tenders due to its reliance on Qatari LNG, which should help support global nitrogen prices. Marex
• [New] The European bloc has reached a trade deal with India earlier in 2026 that will remove or reduce tariffs on more than 90% of goods traded between the two after having concluded negotiations on a trade agreement with Indonesia last year. CNBC
• [New] Tariffs and sanctions extract tribute and leaving export-dependent middle powers exposed, while threats of, and actual, invasions, bombings and kidnappings of heads of state enforce US primacy. Alex White | Strategy | Advocacy | Policy | Communicati
• [New] India will seek to expand cross-border payment linkages, digital identity frameworks, and public digital rails to enable more seamless trade, financial inclusion, and service delivery, particularly for the Global South. FTI Strategic Communications
• [New] Ministers agreed that Australia and the United Kingdom will work together to improve frictionless defence trade between both nations, including accelerating efforts to address barriers to collaboration such as mobility, security clearances, and cyber security standards - including for AUKUS. Mirage News
• [New] Evolving frameworks in the European Union and United Kingdom, shifting enforcement priorities in the United States, and a rapidly changing global tariff landscape are influencing how in-house legal teams assess risk and structure transactions. JD Supra

Last updated: 02 April 2026