Global Trade
International trade agreements, disputes, and trends
Panama Canal Tightens Its Belt Again
The Panama Canal Authority is cutting the maximum draft for the largest ships from July 3, citing lake levels and the return of El Niño. …
Coconut Oil Stays Stubbornly Dear
Coconut oil prices nearly tripled in under two years and are easing only slightly in 2026. Ageing trees, slow replanting and competition from coconut milk …
Europe Makes Honey Name Its Origin
From July 2026, the European Union requires every honey blend to list the countries it came from, targeting one of the world's most faked foods. …
Avocado's Glut Before the Boom
Europe is drowning in avocados, with June imports at record levels and prices more than 20 per cent below last year. Yet the OECD and …
China Reopens the Fertiliser Tap
After an eight-month freeze that sent urea to four-year highs, China has reopened its export window, and India's June tender crashed about 50 per cent …
A Rice Glut the World Won't Buy
The world is sitting on a record pile of rice, and top exporters India, Thailand and Vietnam are competing hard to sell it. That should …
Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's Tariffs in Landmark 6-3 Ruling — President Immediately Imposes New 10% Global Levy
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that President Trump exceeded his authority by using a 1977 emergency law to impose sweeping tariffs. Trump responded within …
The US House Has Released an 800-Page Farm Bill. It Rewrites Trade Rules, Moves Food Aid to USDA, and Overrides State Food Laws.
The House Agriculture Committee released the 800-page Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. It transfers Food for Peace from USAID to USDA, overrides …
American Tariffs Are Rewriting Global Food Trade. Developing Countries Like Nigeria Are Caught in the Crossfire.
The US now imposes tariffs on 52% of its food imports — worth $116 billion. The disruption is reshaping grain flows, raising fertiliser costs, and …