Browsing: Business

Italy’s manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest pace since April 2022 in May, with the S&P Global Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rising to 52.9 from 52.1 in April. The reading remained above the 50.0 threshold that separates expansion from contraction

Portugal’s economy grew 2.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2026, accelerating from 1.9 percent in the final quarter of 2025, official data showed, as stronger domestic demand and investment lifted annual output even as quarterly growth

Global energy investment is projected to reach $3.4 trillion in 2026, rising 5% from 2025 as electricity systems, clean energy technologies and fuel supply spending draw new capital, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its World Energy Investment 2026

The European Union recorded €627.8 billion in goods imports from non EU countries and €640.5 billion in goods exports in the first quarter of 2026, leaving a €12.7 billion trade surplus as external commerce weakened from a year earlier. Eurostat

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said the global economy is set to slow in 2026 as higher energy prices, transport disruption, financial-market volatility and tighter financing conditions weigh on trade, investment and demand. The organization projected global growth at 2.6%

The European Union has set out a new fertiliser action plan aimed at improving supply security, easing cost pressures on farmers and reducing exposure to import disruptions after recent volatility in energy and fertiliser markets. The plan, adopted by the

Russia’s annual inflation slowed to 5.58 percent in April 2026 from 5.86 percent in March, official data showed, as consumer prices increased 0.14 percent from the previous month. The April consumer price index placed cumulative inflation since the start of

The euro was the most used currency for the European Union’s imports of primary goods from countries outside the bloc in 2025, excluding petroleum, with a 47.4% share, according to data released by Eurostat on Monday. The U.S. dollar followed

– Germany’s industrial production fell 0.7% in March 2026 compared with the previous month, according to data released on May 9 by the Federal Statistical Office, underscoring continued weakness in Europe’s largest economy at the end of the first quarter.

EuroWire, GENEVA: Non-tariff measures such as product standards, health rules and certification requirements now impose higher export costs than tariffs for 88% of countries, according to a May 2026 global trade update released this week by UN Trade and Development