Global Trade Archives

U.S. Gun Trafficking Emerges as New Flashpoint in Canada Relations

23Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Gun Trafficking Emerges as New Flashpoint in Canada Relations

U.S.-sourced guns flowing into Canada are contributing to violent crime, the trafficking can be extraordinarily profitable, and Canadians increasingly want the issue addressed in trade negotiations. September 23, 2026—It is not just tariffs, trade, and geopolitics that are causing friction in the U.S.-Canadian relationship. Another point of contention is that U.S.-made guns are illegally crossing the border into Canada and into the hands of violent criminals. The United States is the lead producer of crime-related guns in Canada, and Canadians are taking notice and demanding action. Illegal weapons are also crossing the U.S.-Canadian border, and the high market price might be what is driving the trafficking North, Higher Profits While U.S. gun trafficking to Mexico cartels has ...

Defying Public Opinion, Trump Preps Bunker Busting Bombs for Israel

16Sep

By No Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Foreign Aid, International Development, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Defying Public Opinion, Trump Preps Bunker Busting Bombs for Israel

Congress Considers U.S.-Israel Military Merger in NDAA Bill MK-84s: These are massive unguided bombs often called “The Hammer” due to their destructive power that can create larger craters in the Earth. Photo: DOD 2016 September 16, 2026—President Donald Trump is planning to send Israel billions of dollars worth of weapons, including bunker-busting 2,000-pound bombs, financed by U.S. taxpayers. If cleared, it will be one of the largest-ever shipments of heavy bombs to Israel. It comes as support for Israel is waning in the United States, amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and continued military encroachment in Lebanon. It also comes as the United States remains absorbed in a war with Iran. The Washington Post was...

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan

6Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Critical Minerals, Domestic Politics, Geopolitics, Human rights, Types of News: Brief

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan. Have any lessons for U.S. leaders been learned? September 6, 2026—Five years after the dramatic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the repressive Taliban regime remains in control, even as it is still unrecognized by a majority of countries. Nearly half the population is dependent on humanitarian aid. Humanitarian Action calculates that is 21.9 million. Also, more than 5 million Afghans who lived in neighboring countries have been forced to return. What's more, Afghanistan and Pakistan are at war. The Aftermath of the U.S. Withdrawal The United States spent 20 years fighting in Afghanistan, often asserting a strategy of nation-building while the underlying strategic goals went ...

Where Is The US-Canada Trade Dispute Headed: A Spat or a War?

1Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Global Trade, Types of News: Analysis

Where Is The US-Canada Trade Dispute Headed: A Spat or a War?

A Guide to New Tariffs on Cross-Border Trade Tariffs are escalating, trade talks have collapsed and the rhetoric has become personal. But the bigger question is whether Washington and Ottawa can preserve the North American economic integration built over three decades. Photo of the Detroit River by realafm courtesy Unsplash September 1, 2026—The U.S.-Canada trade dispute is garnering a lot of attention, due in no small measure the highly-charged rhetoric over the breakdown in trade talks. Both sides increased tariffs on segments of each other’s products. But just how significant are the new tariffs in terms of trade and cost? Where does that leave the review of the larger North American trade pact? Trade Talks Break Down The trade talks are taking place at a critical time: T...

US and Armenia Advance Bilateral Relations and Eurasian Trade Route

26May

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Geopolitics, Global Trade, Types of News: Brief

US and Armenia Advance Bilateral Relations and Eurasian Trade Route

What Is the TRIPP Corridor? And Why It Matters to Geopolitics File photo. Source: State Dept. January 2026 May 26, 2026—The foreign ministers of the United States and Armenia signed a strategic agreement on Tuesday that advances a Eurasian trade route between Asia and Europe that allows some trade to bypasses Russia and Iran. The “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” is a 27-mile transport corridor running through Armenia and Azerbaijan that links up to the much larger Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also called the “Middle Corridor.” “This agreement marks the biggest step to date on making this historic route a reality, on advancing peace, and on increasing prosperity in Armenia and frankly on the region,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the ...

China, Russia Cite ‘Root Causes’ in Veto of Resolution on Strait of Hormuz

9Apr

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Global Trade, Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Middle East, Types of News: Brief, Types of News: Videos

China, Russia Cite ‘Root Causes’ in Veto of Resolution on Strait of Hormuz

UN Security Council Positions Reflect Differences of Law Based on Alliances April 9, 2026—A trickle of shipping traffic went through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after a tenuous two-week ceasefire came together through last-minute negotiations mediated by Pakistan. Iran maintains control over the narrow passage, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil supply and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies once flowed. On Tuesday, in the 10130th meeting of the UN Security Council, delegates considered a draft plan to “compel Iran to implement” a UN resolution, 2817, which condemned attacks on the Gulf states and reaffirmed the “exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels, in accordance with international law.” The meeting revealed the vastl...

In a Sign of Geopolitical Realignment, U.K. to Host 35-Nation Meeting on the Strait of Hormuz

1Apr

By No Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Geopolitics, Global Trade, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

In a Sign of Geopolitical Realignment, U.K. to Host 35-Nation Meeting on the Strait of Hormuz

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer discusses new alliance-building on April 1, 2026. April 1, 2026—In another sign of strained relations between the United States and its partners and allies, a 35-member meeting taking place Thursday in the United Kingdom will take place without U.S. participation. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced today he is convening a meeting restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after the conflict. The meeting comes as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to pull out of the NATO alliance. It also comes as G7 foreign ministers condemned attacks on civilians and infrastructure and a reopening of global trade routes. Who’s Attending the London Coalition? At least 35 countries are scheduled to attend the meeting. Many of them signed onto a ...

Pre-War, Hegseth Tried to Invest in Military Industrial ETF

31Mar

By No Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, United States, WAR: Dispatches & Dialogue

Pre-War, Hegseth Tried to Invest in Military Industrial ETF

March 31, 2026—Among the news reports about war profits by those in Washington with insider information comes a report about War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Financial Times confirmed in its reporting today that Hegseth may have tried to invest millions of dollars in a fund specializing in the military industrial complex. Hegseth’s broker at Morgan Stanly reportedly contacted BlackRock, which flagged the request for the “high profile potential client.” The fund, iShare Defense Industrials Act (IDEF), has decreased in value by 9.7 percent over the past month but is up by 4 percent so far this year. Its largest holdings include: RTX, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. The FT reported that the investment was not completed because the fund “was not yet available for Morgan Stanley...

G7 Calls for ‘Immediate Cessation of Attacks on Civilians’ and Infrastructure

27Mar

By No Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Geopolitics, Global Trade, Middle East, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

G7 Calls for ‘Immediate Cessation of Attacks on Civilians’ and Infrastructure

War, Trade Through Strait of Hormuz Key Topics in G7 Foreign Minister Meetings in France March 27, 2026—G7 Foreign ministers of G7 countries— Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States—along with the European Union met in France today discussing, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, maritime and port security, critical minerals supply chains, and counter-narcotics strategies. In the wake of the expanding U.S.-Israel-Iran war, foreign ministers discussed critical issues facing the global economy. G7 France March 27 2026 The ministers released the following statement urging freedom of navigation and an end to assaults on civilians and critical infrastructure. “We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, th...

Energy Shock to Slow Growth and Raise Inflation, OECD Says

27Mar

By No Comments

Energy Policy, Oil & Gas, Global Trade, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Energy Shock to Slow Growth and Raise Inflation, OECD Says

G20 Inflation to Climb to 4.0 Percent in 2026 March 27, 2026—The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned that rising energy prices and supply shocks due to war in the Middle East could increase global volatility and inflation. In a March report, Testing Resilience, the OECD said: “The evolving conflict in the Middle East has human and economic costs for the countries directly involved, and will test the resilience of the global economy. A halt in shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and the closure or damage of energy infrastructure has generated a surge in energy prices and disrupted the global supply of energy and other important commodities, such as fertilisers.” Projections for growth vary widely by country. For example, the OECD predicts growth in th...