China and New Zealand pledge deeper trade and economic cooperation

China and New Zealand flags. Andrea Verdelli | Getty Images News | Getty Images China and New Zealand are working toward implementing an upgraded version of the free trade agreement between the two countries. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday the two countries should kick off negotiations on the negative list of service trade … Read more

The UK economic outlook is bleak, think tanks warn, with tough choices for the next government

LONDON — Leading British economic think tanks warned Thursday that whoever wins the general election expected this year will face some very tough choices on tax and spending if they want to make sure the public finances don’t deteriorate further. After number-crunching Wednesday’s budget statement from Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt, which reduced a tax paid … Read more

Australian and Vietnamese prime ministers elevate their nations’ booming economic relationship

MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian and Vietnamese prime ministers on Thursday discussed ways of improving an already booming economic relationship, as part of Australia’s strategy to diversify trade away from China. Vietnamese Pham Minh Chinh’s official state visit came after he attended a summit of Southeast Asian leaders this week co-chaired by his Australian counterpart Anthony … Read more

A brazen iPhone scam in Iran reflects its economic struggles and tensions with the West

TEHRAN, Iran — With flashy celebrity ads and promises of deep discounts, a shop in Iran’s capital had offered consumers in the Islamic Republic one of the hottest products in the country — an iPhone that came out in 2021. But instead of getting their hands on the handsets, police and prosecutors in Iran allege … Read more

Peter Schiff warns US job numbers are up only because Americans are ‘forced to take 2 or 3 jobs’ — rubbishes Biden economic wins as ‘lipstick on a pig’ and claims Fed has lost inflation fight

Peter Schiff warns US job numbers are up only because Americans are ‘forced to take 2 or 3 jobs’ — rubbishes Biden economic wins as ‘lipstick on a pig’ and claims Fed has lost inflation fight The U.S. economy added 353,000 jobs in January 2024, significantly outperforming economists’ expectations. But according to Peter Schiff, CEO … Read more

Economic boost from Swift’s Eras Tour could be overstated

Taylor Swift performs onstage at Lumen Field in Seattle on July 22, 2023. Mat Hayward/tas23 | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images The devil’s in the details, but local economies have a friend in Taylor Swift. The American pop star has spent nearly a year crossing the U.S. and the globe with her high-flying Eras … Read more

Mortgage rates back over 7%, as stronger economic data rolls in

This photo taken on Aug. 22, 2023 shows an advertisement in front of a real estate for sales in Millbrae, California, the United States. The sales of previously owned homes in the United States dropped 2.2 percent in July from June to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 4.07 million units, the National Association of … Read more

Europe’s economic pain drags on with zero growth at the end of last year

FRANKFURT, Germany — Europe’s economy failed to expand at the end of 2023, dragging out the stagnation for more than a year amid higher energy prices, costlier credit and a downturn in former powerhouse Germany. Zero economic growth for the October-to-December period of last year follows a 0.1% contraction in the three months before that, … Read more

Blinken begins Africa tour in Cape Verde, touting the U.S. as a key security and economic partner

ABUJA, Nigeria — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a tour of four African countries on Monday, meeting with the leaders of Cape Verde and Ivory Coast and touting America as the continent’s key economic and security ally at times of regional and international crises. Blinken is visiting Nigeria and Angola next. The tour … Read more