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The United States initiated new trade investigations targeting China and the European Union, with President Trump threatening to cut off trade with Spain over its stance on the Iran conflict. These actions signal an aggressive use of trade measures for geopolitical objectives. Concurrently, the U.S. Commerce Department is drafting rules that would require government permits for companies like Nvidia and AMD to sell advanced AI chips abroad, potentially tying sales to investment pledges in the United States.
Major technology firms were active in corporate and financial spheres. Apple introduced new products, including a lower-cost MacBook Neo and iPhone 17e, while updating other laptops with new M5 chips. Amazon raised tens of billions of dollars through a bond sale to fund its artificial intelligence goals, expanding AI into areas like health care. On economic policy, the Federal Reserve is navigating a court block on Justice Department subpoenas, preparing to relax capital rules for big banks, and confronting stubborn inflation. New data showed the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, as Trump publicly demanded the Fed chair cut interest rates immediately.
Global oil and gold prices rose sharply following military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, with gold climbing past $5,200 per ounce. The flow of gold was disrupted in Dubai as flights were halted. This market movement occurred alongside a geopolitical dispute, where Trump threatened to cut off all trade with Spain after it refused U.S. use of joint military bases for potential action against Iran. In a separate commercial development, Amazon announced plans to invest billions in Spanish AI data centers.
In other international engagements, the Trump administration reached agreements allowing certain transactions involving Venezuelan gold, with companies like Trafigura receiving licenses. The U.S. also approved American Airlines flights to Venezuela and is seeking access to Venezuelan minerals. Additionally, the United States gave an open-ended sanctions exemption to Rosneft's German refinery network, indefinitely excluding the unit from Russia sanctions.
20 topics | 2099 sources
The United States is pursuing an aggressive trade and technology policy against China, launching new investigations and drafting stricter AI chip export controls. Concurrently, U.S. business ties with India are strengthening, as Reliance Industries shifts from criticizing former President Trump to partnering on a major U.S. refinery project. This reflects a dual-track U.S. approach of pressuring strategic rivals while deepening economic partnerships with key allies.
Iranian strikes have disrupted shipping and flight operations in the UAE, spiking global oil prices above $100. The conflict has created a regional shipping crisis, with India securing permission for its vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, airlines like Germany's Lufthansa are adjusting their long-haul flight networks in response to the regional instability.
A federal judge threw out subpoenas from the Justice Department that sought to compel testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The judge called the evidence for the investigation 'thin,' and the Justice Department plans to appeal the ruling. Separately, the Fed is dealing with stubborn inflation and a weak jobs report, which complicates decisions on interest rates. Goldman Sachs delayed its forecast for a Fed rate cut, citing inflation risks from the war in the Middle East, and the Fed is also preparing to relax capital requirements for large banks.
Meta is reportedly planning to lay off more than 20% of its workforce as the costs of developing and running artificial intelligence systems mount. The company is making these cuts while competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic continue to grow, highlighting the financial pressures of the AI arms race on established tech giants.
Amazon is raising tens of billions of dollars by selling bonds to investors. The company attracted about $126 billion in orders for its bond sale, which is expected to raise at least $37 billion and could reach $42 billion. Amazon says it will use the money to fund its artificial intelligence goals. The company is also expanding its use of AI into new areas, including health care tools for patients and doctors and exploring ways to help other apps sell chatbot ads.
44 topics | 1691 sources
Mar 12 — Mar 26
US-Israeli strikes on Iran trigger regional security crisis affecting markets, shipping, and business operationsThe United States and Israel conducted military strikes against Iran, causing significant market volatility and oil price swings as investors sought safe-haven assets. The heightened regional security fears have prompted major banks to evacuate offices in the Gulf and led Singapore Airlines to cancel Middle East flights, while the US is developing a reinsurance plan for Gulf shipping to mitigate the economic fallout.
Mar 23 — Mar 24
Mar 22 — Mar 23
Mar 23