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July 12, 2026
 

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TRADE

A vessel sits at anchor at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman, on Monday.
BUSINESS
Mar 17, 2026
Gulf importers race to reroute as Hormuz closure jolts supply chains
The closure has logistics companies racing to overcome the headaches of changing vessel destinations and keeping perishable items from spoiling.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 16, 2026
Trump threatens Xi summit delay if China doesn’t help in Hormuz
Trump stressed China’s dependence on oil from the Middle East in an interview with The Financial Times, as he reiterated a demand for Beijing to help unblock the key waterway.
Instead of leveraging their combined economic weight, African countries are pursuing fragmented bilateral agreements that leave them as junior partners and vulnerable to countries like China and the U.S.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 16, 2026
The new ‘scramble for Africa’ risks becoming divide and conquer
The disunity persists despite Africa’s enormous advantages, including a rapidly growing consumer market and dominant control of critical minerals essential to the global economy.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses his supporters at a public meeting in Guwahati, India, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 16, 2026
Modi walks fine line between Iran and U.S. as war hits economy
The worsening conflict in the Middle East is causing severe gas shortages in India.
During trade talks in Paris on Sunday, Chinese officials showed openness to buying U.S. poultry, beef and non-soybean row crops.
BUSINESS
Mar 16, 2026
U.S. and China discuss farm goods and managed trade in ‘remarkably stable’ talks
The Paris talks touched on potential areas of agreement such as agriculture and critical minerals.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng meet in London, on June 9, 2025.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 15, 2026
U.S. and China economic chiefs to meet in Paris ahead of Trump-Xi summit
Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials are set to launch a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday to iron out kinks in their trade truce and clear a smooth path for U.S. President Donald Trump's trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.
Workers in the financial district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The number of operating Japanese firms in the Middle East was highest in the United Arab Emirates, at 709.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 14, 2026
Over 1,500 Japanese firms operate in Middle East, survey shows
The number of operating Japanese firms was highest in the United Arab Emirates, at 709, followed by 473 in Israel.
About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has dropped by 97% since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began on Feb. 28, according to United Nations data.
BUSINESS / Economy / EXPLAINER
Mar 14, 2026
Why is it so easy for Iran to shut the Strait of Hormuz?
About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait, where traffic has dropped by 97% since the Iran conflict began.
Lawmakers attend the closing of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2026
China to impose up to 30.1% tariffs on halogenated butyl rubber from Japan
The tariffs are effective from Saturday and will be in place for five years, the ministry said.
The U.S. trade representative announced an investigation into overcapacity on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 13, 2026
Japan listed in second U.S. trade investigation announced in as many days
Sixty jurisdictions are mentioned in the new inquiry, which deals with forced labor.
The U.S., Japan and the EU are preparing to announce plans to lay the groundwork for a critical minerals trade deal that could include a price floor and tariffs to counter market distortions by China.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2026
U.S. critical minerals talks advance with EU and Japan on price floor
Global efforts to diversify critical minerals supply chains intensified after Beijing last year imposed sweeping export controls, including on rare earths.
The U.S. is investigating a total of 16 jurisdictions for unfair trade practices related to excess capacity.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 12, 2026
U.S. to investigate Japan and other countries for unfair trade practices
President Donald Trump could impose tariffs based on findings of Section 301 inquiries.
Shipping containers are stacked at a terminal at the port of Los Angeles in Long Beach, California, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2026
U.S. opens new unfair-trade probes to rebuild Trump’s tariff pressure
The investigation could lead to new tariffs imposed against China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico by this summer.
Tankers are seen off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on March 3. Tehran has vowed to fire on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz amid its conflict with the U.S. and Israel.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 10, 2026
Ships brandish China links to weave through Strait of Hormuz
Vessels are linking themselves to Iran’s most important economic partner in an attempt to reduce the risk of being targeted for Iranian attacks.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30,
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 9, 2026
Trump’s China visit likely won’t yield breakthrough, with stability key goal
Beijing has been frustrated with the Trump administration’s last-minute planning for an event that normally takes months of painstaking preparations.
The strait of Hormuz in December 2023
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2026
Middle East tensions disrupt maritime transport to Japan
The impact of the shipping freeze is spreading, with some Japanese automakers considering cutting production due to stalled exports.
Garment workers make clothing in the sewing section of a factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh
BUSINESS
Mar 7, 2026
Fast fashion garments pile up in South Asia as Middle East conflict grounds planes
South Asia is a clothes manufacturing powerhouse and fast fashion brands around the world rely on factories in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Trade minister Ryosei Akazawa meets with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday in Washington.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 7, 2026
Japan asks U.S. not to treat it unfavorably under new tariffs
Trade minister Ryosei Akazawa sought assurances from his U.S. counterpart that the latest U.S. tariffs would not disadvantage Japan.
LDP’s security chief Yasukazu Hamada (left) and JIP counterpart Seiji Maehara speak to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 6, 2026
LDP-JIP coalition submits proposal to revise rules on defense equipment exports
The ruling parties’ joint security committee seeks to relax export rules for defense equipment, which would be a major policy shift for Japan.
Mourners display a portrait of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Thursday during a funeral for Hezbollah Brigades members killed in a strike in southern Iraq.
EDITORIALS
Mar 6, 2026
The Iran war could do incalculable damage
The joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran is not the solution to the indignities, injustices and wrongs perpetrated by that regime.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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