More expensive for Swedes to import gadgets from China and the US

Soaring fuel costs are pushing North Koreans toward electric bikes and motorcycles

Imports of Chinese-made electric bicycles and motorcycles are rising at border crossings in North Korea in 2026, driven by surging fuel prices that have made gas-powered vehicles increasingly costly to run. Demand has grown to the point that even wealthy North Koreans who previously considered electric bikes beneath them are now buying them. A source []

From Shein to Pop Mart: How Chinese brands are grabbing global market share

Chinese companies are moving beyond their home base, expanding overseas and reshaping fashion, tech, and consumer markets worldwide. CNN’s Hanako Montgomery explains why.

Why Krugman Thinks We Need Chinese Auto Tariffs

As the United States, Canada, and Mexico prepare to renegotiate the USMCA trade deal, one industry sits squarely at the center of the debate: automobiles. Companies like Linamar depend on highly integrated supply chains that send components across borders multiple times before a vehicle is completed. Nobel laureate Paul Krugman argues that competition from China demands some trade barriers, while Council on Foreign Relations expert Shannon O’Neil says the region’s manufacturing strength depends on cross-border production. Supporters of the agreement warn that uncertainty poses the biggest risk to investment, jobs, and the future of a trade relationship that supports over a trillion dollars in annual commerce. (Source: Bloomberg)

China’s green exports to the US surge as AI boom, Iran war lift demand

China’s exports of green-energy and battery products to the United States have accelerated amid demand in America’s fast-expanding AI sector, as cooling trade tensions and energy-security fears linked to the Iran war boost global appetite for renewable-energy equipment. Energy-related products posted some of the strongest gains among Chinese exports to the US last month, according to the latest customs data. Exports of unassembled photovoltaic cells surged 346 per cent year on year to US39.96...

China Restricts Exports to American Defense Firms as Retaliation Against US Sanctions

On June 22, Beijing imposed export restrictions on 10 U.S. companies linked to the American military, in what was seen as a retaliation for recent Washington sanctions. According to China’s Commerce Ministry, 10 companies will be denied exports of “dual-use” goods—items with both civilian and military applications—from Chinese firms. The Associated Press (AP) reported that []