Inflation to slower growth, West Asia shock to shape global economy in various ways: IMF

March 31, 2026 11:21 AM

Inflation to slower growth, West Asia shock to shape global economy in various ways: IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said the ongoing US-Israel and Iran war could shape the global economy in different ways — all roads leading to higher prices and slower growth. The IMF said the war in the Middle East is upending lives and livelihoods in the region and beyond. “It is also dimming the outlook for many economies that had only just shown signs of a sustained recovery from previous crises. The shock is global, yet asymmetric. Energy importers are more exposed than exp...

US launches probe into Brazil’s trade practices, digital payment services

July 16, 2025 9:43 AM

US launches probe into Brazil’s trade practices, digital payment services

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday he had launched an investigation into Brazil's "unfair" trading practices, a week after President Donald Trump threatened a 50% tariff on imports from Latin America's largest economy. Trump's trade war, launched since starting his second term in January, sets tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners, aiming to reorder the global economy and end decades of what he calls discrimination against the United States. The USTR investigation, ...

Latin America braces for US election impact on trade, tariffs

October 21, 2024 2:51 PM

Latin America braces for US election impact on trade, tariffs

Latin America is anxiously counting the days to Nov. 5, when U.S. voters will choose between relative continuity under Vice President Kamala Harris or a return to policies that triggered volatility in the region's largest markets and economies under former president Donald Trump. Trade and tariffs, as well as monetary policy's effect on global interest rates, are likely the largest avenues for the election to jolt the U.S.'s neighboring region. Washington's economic war with China could particu...

Brazil energy authorities approve returning to daylight saving time as drought bites

September 20, 2024 4:21 PM

Brazil energy authorities approve returning to daylight saving time as drought bites

Brazilian energy authorities have approved bringing back daylight saving time, a senior official said on Thursday, to save energy as the country faces a major drought that has hit power generation. Before it goes into effect, reinstating daylight savings time will need to be backed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. A prolonged drought in Brazil has affected some of the country's largest hydroelectric plants, including two fed by an Amazonian river, forcing a shift to more energy imports ...