International trade

India’s gold imports have shown a sharp jump in early 2026. According to the country’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the volume of purchases of the precious metal abroad reached $12.07 billion in January, Logos Press reported.

Moldova will raise the level of participation in the Regional Center for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC) from observer to associate member, Logos Press reports.

The Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian Association of Milk Producers has officially applied to the authorities of the European Union with a proposal to provide anti-crisis financial support to the country’s dairy farms in 2026, according to Logos Press.

Representatives of both southern European countries at a recent meeting of EU ambassadors expressed concerns that a move to such restrictions could affect the European shipping industry and energy prices. They also asked for clarification on proposals to impose sanctions on foreign ports for transshipment of Russian oil and to tighten controls on ship sellers, Logos Press reported.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is moving towards the implementation of the European System of National Accounts (ESA 2010), which involves improving international trade and GDP statistics.

In early 2026, cocoa futures fell below $4 thousand per ton for the first time since November 2023, breaking a two-year growth. Recall that the market reached its peak values at the end of 2024 – at that time quotes exceeded $12 thousand per ton. Despite a drop of about 70%, the cost of raw materials still remains high and continues to restrain demand, according to Logos Press.

The negotiations between the Moldovan National Food Safety Agency ANSA and the Ukrainian authorities on unblocking the supply of poultry meat to Moldova are proceeding very carefully. The impression is that the parties really want to find a compromise, Logos Press reports.

Ukraine is seeking an early solution to the issue of resuming poultry exports to Moldova after it temporarily suspended imports, the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture said, Logos Press reported.

Europe’s largest food retailer, French chain Carrefour has announced the sale of its Romanian division. The buyer is Paval Holding from Romania, owned by the Paval brothers. Thus, Romanian Carrefourt will be completely under local management, reports Logos Press.

The profit of the leader of the world automobile industry Mercedes-Benz in 2025 fell almost twice compared to the previous year – from 10.4 billion euros to 5.3 billion euros. The decline in sales in China was especially noticeable, Logos Press reports.

Moldova is gradually moving away from funding from the International Monetary Fund, and full independence will symbolize its macroeconomic maturity, Logos Press reported.

In the summer of 2026, Switzerland will hold a national referendum put forward by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP). The project aims to set a strict limit on the country’s population: by 2050, it should not exceed 10 million people.

Will the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) ever introduce a common currency to challenge the dominance of the U.S. dollar in the world economy? Like many traditional international economists, I generally reject the idea, despite my role in creating the acronym BRICS, which led to the creation of the official BRICS club (later expanded to BRICS+ with the addition of five new members).

Under the slogan “My field is my right”, representatives of the Indian Farmers Union started a sit-in in front of the administration building in Lucknow, reports Logos Press.

The sunflower market in the Black Sea countries reached “peak demand and prices” in the first half of February 2026. However, market analysts suggest that the trend may change to a downward trend in the near future, Logos Press reports.

In 2025, the volume of grain exports from Kazakhstan through the Baltic countries increased to 802 thousand tons, which is six times more than in 2024, Logos Press reports.

Eurozone exports are still growing despite declining revenues in a number of key sectors, Logos Press reports.