Trade

• [New] A further escalation of the crisis over the Taiwan question would have grave implications for the world economy, including a likely global recession coming already in 2022 and extending to 2023. Russian Council
• [New] The gravest risk of Taliban victory and U.S. withdrawal was that Afghanistan would revert to a sanctuary for terrorists with global reach. Center for New American Security
• [New] Due to the fluctuating price and global shortage of raw materials, the construction industry is being further driven to explore opportunities to adopt circular thinking. Resource Magazine
• [New] Despite potential risks from further COVID-19 restrictions and slower economic growth as inflationary pressures and the war in Ukraine impact the global economy, the outlook for commodity markets is expected to remain strong in the second half of the year. rigzone.com
• [New] Advanced Biofuels Canada stated that eliminating the carbon tax on clean fuels used in BC will immediately reduce fuel costs at the pump for clean fuel consumers and relieve pressure on high cost imported fuels. Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbi
• [New] The global shortage and fluctuating costs of raw materials are increasingly driving the construction industry to explore opportunities to adopt circular thinking, including the re-use of materials and re-purposing of existing building structures. UKGBC - UK Green Building Council
• [New] Additional US gas export capacity will help increase UK, European and global energy security, reflecting the increasing importance of LNG in the global gas supply chain. Energy Live News
• [New] With the global economy experiencing a surge in inflation and facing risks of a significant slowdown in growth, many fintech firms are striving to stay resilient and viable. Fintech Singapore
• [New] If global heating is limited to 2 C, the vast East Antarctic ice sheet should remain stable, but if the climate crisis drives temperatures higher, melting could drive up sea level by many metres. The Guardian
• The issues over Ukraine and Taiwan will most likely accelerate deglobalization and decouple a large part of the global economy and political system into two blocs. Saxo
• Special Envoy on Climate Change, often repeated that the U.S. and China could isolate climate change as an area for joint discussion given its global importance without getting entangled in other complex issues. Reuters
• Food prices soared to a record high in March after Russia invaded Ukraine, raising fears that the conflict between two of the world's breadbaskets would spark hunger in countries relying on their exports. Naharnet
• China, the world's biggest rice consumer and importer, has suffered yield losses from extreme heat in grain growing areas and is expected to lift imports to a record 6 million tonnes in 2022/23. Reuters
• Disruptions at Chinese ports caused by COVID-19 lockdowns played havoc with global supply chains earlier in 2022, helping to fuel record inflation around the world. Reuters
• Rebuilding distillate inventories will require a reduction in internal demand via a domestic business cycle downturn and a reduction in external demand via a global recession and/or easing of sanctions on Russia's exports. Reuters
• Censure and sanctions are becoming a real risk for global mining companies that are lax with their stance on ESG with some even losing projects in the past from violating their social licenses. FurtherAfrica
• The influence of ESG principles and the social license has grown to the extent that they impact the cost of capital that global mining companies will incur in funding their operations. FurtherAfrica
• China's average ground temperatures have risen much more quickly than the global average over the past 70 years and will remain significantly higher in the future as the challenges of climate change mount, a government official said. Hindustan Times
• Oil is being driven lower as more and more economic data suggests the global economy is slowing and may go into a recession, which will reduce demand for energy. CBC
• Pushing up interest rates in the UK will achieve precisely zero in bringing down the price of wheat or oil on global markets. The Guardian
• Maersk now expects demand to be at the lower end of its range, between -1% and 1% in 2022, as rising inflation and energy prices darken the global economic outlook. CNBC
• Artificial intelligence could generate up to a trillion dollars of additional value for the global banking industry annually, and automatic factor discovery will assist in the honing of financial modeling across the financial services sector. CloudTweaks

Last updated: 14 August 2022