News about International trade

Not a single vessel has been able to break the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the 24 hours since it began, Logos Press reported, citing RBC.

The surplus of last year’s potatoes in the European Union is currently estimated at 3.3 million tons.

France and Britain announced April 14 that President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer will jointly hold an international videoconference on Friday to establish a multinational force to secure the Strait of Hormuz and impose new sanctions on Iran. Pakistan is also pushing for a second round of Iran-US talks, possibly on Thursday.

Prices for sea and air freight transportation continue to seek a new equilibrium against the backdrop of an unstable geopolitical environment and the realignment of logistics routes.

March 2026 was a “month of records” for the Moldovan sunflower market in almost all nominations: the highest price, the largest exports, the widest geography of supplies. The only outsider position is the purchase of this raw material for processing inside the country.

Japan plans to buy Kazakhstan’s oil to partially replace supplies from the Middle East.

Divine production in Moldova has increased by 671% in three years, according to the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA).

Ukraine has returned to negotiations on the creation of a free trade zone with Serbia, which would promote economic ties and could be a positive step in the context of the European integration of both countries.

The price of the first cryptocurrency rose to $75k for the first time since mid-March.

The Association of Grain Importers of Israel has warned the country’s Ministry of Finance that the introduction of a 50% duty on feed wheat will block its supply to the Israeli market. In particular, from the Black Sea countries and Eastern Europe in general.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) is launching a new session of the Exporters Academy program aimed at developing export competencies of businesses. It will be held from April 23 to May 21, 2026.

The Republic of Moldova produces only four of the seven basic products, making it dependent on food imports.

The exhibition “Republic of Moldova Presents” expands the opportunities for Moldovan companies to explore the neighboring market, promote their goods and services there, and establish new business partnerships.

The conflict between the U.S. and Iran has triggered a jump in pistachio prices.

In April, reports appeared in the information field of Moldova that some local exporters of walnuts found themselves in an alarming situation – with warehouse balances of last year’s products intended for export amounting to millions of euros. Is it really that bad and why is it so? Let us try to define the nuances.

Prior to the war in Ukraine, Latvian and Lithuanian ports served Belarusian cargoes, including exports of mineral fertilizers. Therefore, the Lithuanians recently received an unambiguous signal from the United States to start negotiations with Lukashenka.

The dollar has surged, oil is back above the $100 mark, and U.S. stock futures have fallen. Trump warns that oil and gasoline prices could remain high until after the midterm elections. The blockade of Iranian ports risks spreading the war to the high seas.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the blockade of maritime traffic to Iranian ports will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET (5:00 p.m. CT) on April 13.

The market of grains and oilseeds in the Black Sea region in April is influenced by a variety of factors that periodically adjust the price situation for one or another type of raw materials up or down. But in general sunflower in the countries of the region was becoming more expensive, while prices for wheat and corn stabilized after an initial short-term jump due to the war in the Middle East.

In the 2026-27 marketing year, Ukraine will increase sunflower and rapeseed acreage at the expense of a decrease in soybean acreage. At the same time, the total area under oilseeds in this country will remain stable due to, among other things, relatively good weather conditions in spring of this year