A Panamanian legislator has urged Taiwan to open a trade office in Panama, saying it would deepen economic links between the two sides.

Officials cited trade barriers, governance issues and security concerns, putting preferential access to the U.S. market at risk on Jan. 1, 2027

Kazakhstan brought the largest foreign delegation to the B20 summit in Washington, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clark said, as American

Democrats have won control of Congress in the November 3 midterms, ending President Donald Trump’s Republican majority. But they inherit a Central Asia agenda

Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed he has not engaged in discussions with U.S. Democrats regarding potential legislation to eliminate tariffs on Canadian goods, stating the 'short answer is no' during a press conference. The tariffs, imposed under Section 232 and Section 338 by former President Donald Trump via executive order, remain in place despite the Democratic Party's recent midterm victory that secured control of both the House and Senate. Carney emphasized the mutual benefits of restoring free trade between Canada and the U.S., noting it would support American families facing affordability challenges and workers seeking high-paying jobs, while also benefiting Canadian interests. However, experts caution that Democratic control of Congress does not automatically lead to tariff removal, as executive powers remain with the president. Carlo Dade of the University of Calgary's New North America Initiative explained that while Democrats may hold legislative power, Trump's executive authority and the need for 67 Senate votes to override a veto limit their ability to act. Dade also noted that the Democratic Party's composition is shifting, with some progressive members potentially opposing tariffs but still prioritizing 'America first' policies. The article highlights that recent Democratic victories have reignited discussions about U.S.-Canada trade relations, though many proposed actions remain symbolic. Senators and representatives from Oregon, Massachusetts, and Vermont have publicly expressed interest in repealing tariffs, but Dade argues these efforts lack concrete legislative power. The Senate previously voted to end the national emergency declaration justifying tariffs, but the resolution failed to produce results. Carney's comments come amid growing optimism among Ontario businesses regarding potential trade improvements following the midterm elections, though experts describe this as 'fragile' optimism. The piece underscores the complex interplay between U.S. political dynamics and Canada's trade interests, with the Democrats' new majority offering limited immediate prospects for tariff removal.

Officials cited trade barriers, governance issues and security concerns, putting preferential access to the U.S. market at risk on Jan. 1, 2027

Commerce ministry officials have told liquor executives that bulk Scotch imports will qualify for lower tariffs under the India-UK trade agreement, easing the first major dispute over the deal, source...

A bipartisan group of lawmakers says companies facilitating Russian diesel imports could face criminal and civil liability under a 2022 ban, as tankers reportedly head for Texas and New York after pre...

Chinese exports to Russia reached $44.9 million after a 34.4% rise, far above Russia's $4.7 million in sales to China

The commission approved a sister‑city agreement with Tampico, Tamaulipas, following a 2024 friendship agreement and two years of engagement; staff said trade missions and business connections have already occurred between the cities.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to make a historic bilateral visit to Turkey, marking the first time a Canadian prime minister has visited the country for a focused discussion on Canada-Turkey relations rather than attending an international summit. The trip, scheduled for Wednesday, comes as Canada seeks to deepen economic ties with Turkey, which has the world's 16th largest economy and a population of 87 million. Canada aims to sell CANDU nuclear reactors, supply critical minerals, and export liquefied natural gas to Turkey, while exploring cooperation in drone technology, aerospace, naval systems, and munitions production. This diplomatic push aligns with Carney's 'values-based realism' foreign policy approach, which emphasizes practical engagement over moral lecturing when countries disagree on conduct. The policy shift follows Canada's reset of relations with China and India after diplomatic disputes. However, Turkey's recent actions, including raids on LGBTQ groups, the conviction of a comedian for insulting President Erdogan, and the takeover of opposition media, raise human rights concerns. Turkey's ambassador to Ottawa, Can Dizdar, defended these actions as necessary for legal and social order, while critics argue they reflect an authoritarian turn. The visit also addresses past tensions, including Canada's arms export ban to Turkey, which was lifted in early 2024 following NATO discussions about Sweden's NATO membership. Carney has announced negotiations for a trade agreement, though concerns persist from Armenian-Canadian groups about deepening ties with a country that has historical tensions with Armenia. The summary highlights the balance Canada seeks between economic interests and human rights considerations in its foreign policy approach.

The draft budget plan would more than triple the current levy, a change analysts say could lift some imported bottles near 500 rubles.

The selective ban leaves broader exports intact, but Georgian analysts say it exposes reliance on the Russian market.

BEIJING, Oct 13 — China and Vietnam have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure and regional security following the second meeting of their Joint Legislative Committee in Beijing. Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), met Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man at …

KANGAR, Oct 11 (Bernama) — Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Uzbekistan reached RM430.20 million (US$108 million) in the first six months of this year, reflecting significant potential for expanding economic cooperation between the two countries. Malaysia’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan Rafedah Abdul Aziz said the current trade value could be increased further, particularly through the manufacturing, electrical and electronics, food, and commodity sectors, including oil and palm-based products. “This potential creates opportunities for the two countries to expand market access, strengthen business ties and explore new mutually beneficial investment opportunities,” she said in a statement issued by Istana Arau today. She […]

Responding to Russian trade disruptions, Brussels lets listed Armenian goods enter duty-free if Armenia meets E.U. conditions.

Report exposing cargoes shipped to Israeli ports came after President Aliyev made fiery address complaining of interference in his country’s affairs.

When state news agency of Azerbaijan APA this week published an investigative report detailing voyages completed by cargo ships from Turkey to Israel, a delicate geopolitical nerve took a direct hit. The October 6 article, headlined “456 ship voyages from Turkey to Israel: The unseen side of ‘zero trade,’” was a direct challenge to official assertions from Ankara that Turkey’s commercial ties with Israel have been completely frozen. Drawing on Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel-tracking data, the Azerbaijani Press Agency investigation mapped out persistent flows of cargo across the Eastern Mediterranean. Flags of convenience APA’s findings showed that six foreign-flagged container ships linked to Turkish operators, namely Medkon Ltf, Medkon Canakkale, Medkon Mersin, Admiral Mars, Aadmiral Star and Anita A, made 11 port calls at Israeli cities Ashdod and Haifa between September 17 and September 30 alone. In all, 456 direct voyages from Turkish ports to Israeli ports took place between January and September 2025, the APA report claimed. The vessels reportedly carried Panamanian and Liberian flags of convenience, but information from corporate registry databases linked the management of the vessels back to Turkish maritime enterprises. "What were these ships carrying and who were the ultimate counterparties?" the media outlet asked, framing the trade as starkly contradicting Ankara’s public stance on Turkish trade with Israel. Article quietly vanished The horse had bolted – but within hours of publication, the article quietly vanished. Azerbaijani, English and Russian versions of the report were deleted, without any retraction or explanation. Readers attempting to access the report were directed back to APA’s homepage. The lifespan of the report in public circulation may have been brief, but it was enough to highlight rare, but brewing, diplomatic frictions between Turkey and Azerbaijan, two nations long bound by a somewhat sacred foreign policy doctrine: "One nation, two states." Turkey’s government even includes the slogan in official publications outlining legislation and in directives published in its Official Gazette. ‘Know your place’ The timing of the release of the APA report was not at all coincidental. It arrived in the public eye just four days after Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, delivered a fiery address at the 8th Congress of his ruling New Azerbaijan Party on October 2. Without explicitly naming foreign powers, Aliyev launched a sharply worded rebuke against external interference. "Everyone should know their place, stay out of our affairs, stop poking their noses into our lifestyle and refrain from lecturing us," the Azerbaijani leader of 22 years declared. Aliyev forcefully asserted his country’s foreign policy independence, pointedly revisiting Baku’s 2020 victory over the Armenians in retrieving territory in Nagorno-Karabakh. "Whatever we achieved, we purchased with our own money," he said, emphasising that all military equipment used in the conflict was procured at market rates. In Ankara, Aliyev’s rhetoric was widely interpreted as a quiet dismissal of claims by Turkey’s leader of 23 years, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as regards decisive military backing provided to Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Karabakh war. The mention of "our lifestyle" was similarly seen as a reference to a recent pushback made by Turkish conservative circles over secular dress code regulations introduced in Azerbaijani schools. Crucially, APA put forward its report on the Turkish-Israeli shipping as a required retort to what it labelled "black propaganda" emanating from Turkey on Azerbaijan’s close strategic and energy ties with West Jerusalem. Turkey’s unwanted ‘big brother’ act Turkey’s state insists on not understanding that no state or non-state actor in the world desires a ‘big brother’, particularly one that is a middle power that itself operates under a hegemon. There is no misunderstanding here. Ankara made the same mistake in relation to the Turkic states in the 1990s, and it still insists on ‘Big Brothering’, not only in Central Asia but also around the Middle East and North Africa. When it comes to trade with Israel, the Azerbaijanis have obviously forgotten that they meet around half of Israel’s crude oil consumption via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. The third section of the pipeline – running from the border of Turkey and Georgia to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the eastern Mediterranean coast – is operated by Turkish government-run pipeline operations monopoly Botas. Azerbaijan takes part in an open alliance with Israel. Turkey, on the other hand, keeps remaining economic relations with Israel in the shadows, while indulging in carefully controlled wars of words with the Israelis and championing anti-Israel rhetoric in the media. Looking at the hardline rule pursued by Aliyev, the thinking is often that he aims to keep his population, who are mainly Shia, in common with the people of neighbouring Iran, away from Iranian influence, while presenting himself as an independent actor in the world arena who defends the Azerbaijani way of life and sovereignty. The questioning of Aliyev’s Israel policy by Turkish government trolls and media can ordinarily be brushed off. However, if the Shia people of Azerbaijan start questioning why their country is supporting Israel rather than their Shia brothers in Iran, Aliyev could have some problems. It is particularly northern Iran, which borders Azerbaijan, that is populated by ethnic Turks, or Azeris. All in all, there is no visible indication of any sharp deterioration in Turkey-Azerbaijan relations, but Aliyev has at least provided the media purveyors of international relations with some good fodder.

Officials said 53% of export value now enters duty-free, with Santiago seeking relief for salmon, wine, wood, fruit.

South Korea said customs records show no exports of commercial petroleum products to Russia, rejecting reports that its ports had supplied diesel to the Russian Far East, Yonhap reported on October 8. The foreign ministry's statement followed an article in Britain's The Guardian on October 6. The newspaper reported that more than 176,000 tonnes of petroleum products, mainly diesel, were loaded at South Korean ports and shipped to Russia's Far East during July and August. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, sanctions adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, later said the cargoes had helped Moscow cope with fuel shortages during the war in Ukraine. South Korea's presidential office dismissed that assertion on October 7. The foreign ministry issued its response in a note prepared jointly with the industry ministry and the customs agency. Official trade data recorded no diesel, jet fuel or gasoline shipments from South Korea to Russia through customs clearance between the start of 2025 and August 2026, the ministry said. The ministry added that commercial petroleum products fall outside Seoul's export controls on Russia. Loading them at a South Korean port is therefore not by itself a breach of domestic law. Officials will check the vessels' actual routes and declared destinations before deciding whether any rules were broken. "The government will take action in accordance with the law if violations are confirmed," the ministry said. South Korea bans the export of strategic items to Russia. A further 1,402 non-strategic goods that could have military applications require case-by-case export licences. According to the ministry, interagency talks decide which items are covered, weighing military use, economic impact and coordination with international partners. Seoul's exports to Russia fell to $4bn in 2025 from $10bn in 2021. The ministry said South Korea had taken part in international efforts to preserve peace through export controls "despite the economic burden on companies and the public."

The two-year measure suspends duties on many goods to support Armenia after Russia tightened trade restrictions.