Economy

    22 October 2026
    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, right, and U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor raise a toast during a reception in Mumbai on Oct. 20. (Pool via Reuters)
    China and South Korea have already reached their respective tariff-quota limits for Australian beef this year, likely leaving more for Japan. (Meat & Livestock Australia)
    Trade

    Japan beef imports shift to Australia as droughts hit US herds

    Buyers eye alternative sources in Argentina and Brazil to diversify

    22 October 2026
    U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Dalton, Georgia, on Oct. 16.
    Trump administration

    Trump waives key Russia-related sanctions, tariffs under new law

    Moscow's major oil customers China and India had raised concerns over Graham act

    17 October 2026
    U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs Erin Browne spoke to Nikkei on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund's annual meetings in Bangkok. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
    Interview

    US has full confidence in Takaichi's fiscal discipline: Treasury official

    Erin Browne takes softer tone after Washington applied pressure in September

    17 October 2026
    U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh gestures during the “Managing Director’s Fireside Chat” at the IMF and World Bank's annual meetings in Bangkok on Oct. 16. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
    Markets

    Fed's Warsh warns of financial stability risk as investment rises

    US central bank chief offers no signal on October rate move with capital pouring into tech

    16 October 2026
    High-yield currencies, including the Australian dollar and Mexican peso, have fallen against the U.S. dollar in recent weeks. (Source photos by Nikkei)
    Currencies

    Mexican peso drops while Aussie dollar resilient in flight to quality

    Japanese investors rethink high-yield currency risks as US rates rise

    16 October 2026
    U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will not join the G20 finance ministers' meeting because of domestic engagements, according to Washington.
    International relations

    G20 finance chiefs to forgo joint statement as Bessent skips Bangkok meeting

    Progress on emerging market issues unclear amid oil, capital flight risks

    15 October 2026
    Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc speaks at the U.S.-Vietnam Business Summit in Hanoi on Oct. 14. He said Vietnam had submitted the "final wording" of a trade deal to the U.S., as the two sides move toward concluding months of negotiations. (American Chamber of Commerce)
    Trade

    Vietnam sends final trade agreement wording to US, deputy PM says

    Hanoi aims to wrap up deal as Washington flags imbalance, Chinese content and red tape

    14 October 2026
    Container ships are docked at Yangshan Port outside Shanghai in May. China is on track to exceed a $1 trillion trade surplus again in 2026.
    Trade

    China's export engine hits fastest pace since February with 36% growth

    Chips and cars fuel September rise as Beijing strives to cool trade tensions

    14 October 2026
    Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at an Oct. 8 parliament session where she stressed "this is not a phase in which reflationary policies are necessary." (Photo by Ken Suzuki)
    Economy

    Japan PM Takaichi works to shed reflationist label on market, US pressure

    Dovish members of BOJ board reportedly criticized by Trump administration

    11 October 2026
    A U.S. government official said Bessent would be absent because of official duties back home. (Photo by Madoka Kitamatsu)
    International relations

    Bessent to skip IMF, World Bank meetings in Bangkok

    Treasury chief's absence scuttles prospect of talks with Japan's Ueda and Katayama

    10 October 2026
    Temu and Shein have used small parcel shipments to reach U.S. customers. (Photo by Nikkei)
    Trump tariffs

    Tariffs targeting China's Temu, Shein shrink US small parcel deliveries

    Shipments sank 70% by weight when 'de minimis' rule ended, UN report shows

    10 October 2026
    Although Japan's latest bond auction went smoothly, investors remain uneasy over inflation due to the protracted conflict in the Middle East and concerns about the country's fiscal trajectory. (Photo by Mana Ishizaki) 
    Markets

    JGB yield rises despite 30-year-high coupon

    Government debt concerns lead bond yields higher globally

    6 October 2026
    U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer argues that WTO tariff rules fail to address distortions caused by state-backed economies such as China.
    International relations

    'Handful' of G20 countries reject US stance on excess industrial capacity

    Only Mexico, Argentina join US statement on forced labor in supply chains

    3 October 2026
    Students take German classes at recruitment company TERN Group's Yelahanka Language Institute in Bengaluru on Sept. 29. The lure of jobs with better pay and conditions than in India is encouraging Indians to pick up language skills for work in the European Union. (Photo by Selvaprakash Lakshmanan)
    Big in Asia

    Young Indians flock to EU as immigration curbs bite in US, UK

    Recruits scale language barriers to chase jobs, but anti-migrant clouds gather in Europe

    3 October 2026
    Soybean prices tend to fall during the U.S. harvest season as supply rises.
    Commodities

    Soybeans slump on dimming hope of Chinese tariff cuts

    Key US crop left out of post-summit talks, but not yet off the table

    3 October 2026
    French President Emmanuel Macron, center, and other French officials in Paris hold a video conference with Group of Seven leaders Oct. 2, looking to coordinate action on tackling high fuel prices.
    Energy

    G7 countries agree on release of diesel and oil reserves after US pressure

    Statement says countries will refrain from energy product export bans

    3 October 2026
    Japan's Financial Services Agency is to issue a business suspension order against Prudential Life Insurance following a series of customer fund misappropriation cases. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
    Economy

    Japan watchdog prepares sales suspension for Prudential Life

    Widespread customer fund misappropriation prompts FSA regulatory action

    2 October 2026
    U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks during a press conference Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at the G20 Trade Ministerial in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
    Interview

    US won't 'sit there and take' overproduction from China: USTR Greer

    Washington to announce measures to tackle overcapacity 'in coming weeks'

    2 October 2026
    Japan's government is hoping to stave off currency pressure from President Donald Trump's administration. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and AP)
    International relations

    Japan's Takaichi disavows reflation as US pushes for policy change

    Pressure from Bessent, Trump on the yen is latest step in decades of demands

    2 October 2026
    Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh. The Fed is under less pressure to raise rates at its next meeting in October.
    Markets

    US rate hike bets fade as revised inflation data points to October pause

    Downward revisions of key price index take pressure off Fed to raise rates

    2 October 2026
    South Korean President Lee Jae Myung gestures as he meets with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Oct. 29, 2025.
    Trump tariffs

    South Korea to build 8 nuclear power plants in US, invest $120bn

    Seoul says it will only invest in commercially viable projects

    1 October 2026
    Garment workers in Bangladesh. The Trump administration has argued in court papers that it had conducted real investigations into other nations' failure to prevent imports of goods produced with forced labor.
    Trade

    US trade court probes Trump's 'forced labor' tariffs

    States, businesses have argued global tariffs are illegal

    1 October 2026
    Bangladesh's exports to the U.S. of ready-made garments -- one of the country's most important sectors -- fell 7.55% year-on-year in the February-July period.
    Trade

    Bangladesh's US buying spree fails to bring export benefit

    Exports for crucial garment sector fall as future of February trade pact remains uncertain

    30 September 2026
    Trucks line up at a fuel station in Gujarat, India, on May 23. India imports more than 85% of its crude oil needs, of which Russia is a key source.
    Trump tariffs

    India can't stop buying Russian oil despite new US law, analysts say

    Even with Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, New Delhi 'could negotiate for waivers'

    29 September 2026
    Nissan Motor has targeted raising its local manufacturing rate to 80% for vehicles it sells in the U.S.
    Automobiles

    Nissan targets 80% local production in US, stepping up response to tariffs

    Automaker stops production of plug-in hybrid model for North America

    28 September 2026
    A container ship docked at Yangshan Port outside of Shanghai in 2025. China's Ministry of Commerce says the U.S. and China will implement tariff reductions on selected products "simultaneously," but did not specify a date. 
    Trump-Xi Summit

    US and China list Christmas ornaments, lumber, camels for tariff cuts

    After Trump-Xi summit, two sides offer most concrete Board of Trade details yet

    28 September 2026
    Chinese automakers, such as BYD, continue to take a growing share of the global market.
    Automobiles

    Chinese EVs will come to US despite no summit deal, analysts say

    BYD, other carmakers look to crack the market as inflation drives up price tags, fuel

    27 September 2026
    U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands in Washington on Sept. 24. The White House says it advanced "a fair and reciprocal" relationship with China.
    Trump-Xi Summit

    US and China agree on tariff relief for $30bn of nonsensitive goods each

    American farm goods, made-in-China Christmas items covered; Beijing to buy US coal

    26 September 2026
    U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands alongside first lady Melania Trump and Xi's wife Peng Liyuan after visiting the National Archives Museum in Washington on Sept. 25.
    Trump-Xi Summit

    Pomp, tariffs and AI: 5 things to know about the Trump-Xi summit

    State-visit spectacle masks divisions over trade, Taiwan, investment and tech

    26 September 2026