News about World markets
U.S. business activity growth slowed to an eleven-month low in March as companies grappled with increased uncertainty and rising living costs associated with the nearly month-long war in Iran.
The March report of the International Grains Council (IGC) forecasts a 1.3% decline in global corn production in the 2026/27 marketing season to 1.303 billion tons. At the same time, global consumption of this grain will increase and is likely to exceed production. The final stocks of corn grain will decrease significantly.
Trade in wheat of the new harvest has revived on the Ukrainian market. Some farmers and agricultural holdings have started to enter into forward contracts more actively, using current grain prices to fix future sales. At the same time, forward market prices are already higher than spot market prices, which is uncommon.
The Moldovan transport sector has been hit hardest by rising fuel prices. The authorities are ready to find the necessary solutions to mitigate the impact on the industry if the conflict in the Middle East continues.
The bitcoin exchange rate jumped 3.4 percent and approached the $71,000 mark after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would suspend strikes on Iran for five days.
Japan will release oil from the state reserve on March 26, such a decision was made at a meeting of line ministers headed by Prime Minister Takaichi on stabilizing oil supplies in connection with the crisis in the Middle East, Kyodo news agency reported.
Moldovan athletes Mihail Latyshev, Radu Izvoreanu, Vlad Mitru and Renat Croitoru took prizes at the stage of the European Cup in judo among adults, which ended in Riga (Latvia), reports Logos Press.
The Japanese company Balmuda presented a new innovative gadget – The Clock. The device outwardly resembles an analog alarm clock without hands, but its functional concept is radically different from traditional clocks: The Clock is not designed to display the time, but serves as a tool for relaxation and forming evening rituals.
World trade in wheat flour will fall to a four-year low in the 2025/26 marketing year. This forecast was issued by the International Grains Council (IGC). According to the organization’s estimates, trade volumes will be about 16 million tons (in terms of wheat), which is 3% less than last year. Sales are falling for the second season in a row.
The world is going through a period of deep uncertainty, characterized by a series of crises and large-scale transformations, and the globalization process is in regression. This was stated by Moldovan President Maia Sandu at the conference organized by the European Business Association “EBA Business Outlook 2026”.
The government is analyzing three economic scenarios, including the most pessimistic one, if the global energy crisis drags on. President Maia Sandu spoke about this at a press conference.
In 2025, Brazil recorded the highest agricultural production in history and consolidated its position as one of the world’s leading powers in food production. This is according to the latest data from the Brazilian State Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
Following Trump’s ultimatum, Iran said that along with military bases, U.S.-affiliated financial institutions holding U.S. government bonds would be targeted.
In the Dutch real estate market, foreign buyers are less likely to overpay than locals, according to Logos Press.
It is not only oil and gas markets that are feverish amid the deepening crisis in the Middle East due to the US-Israeli war against Iran. The Russian Central Bank’s gold reserves last month fell to a four-year low of 74.3 million troy ounces, the lowest since April 2022, when 74.1 million remained in reserve.
The energy systems of the ASEAN+3 countries, a group that includes members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus China, Japan and South Korea, are under increasing strain. Climate shocks are jeopardizing infrastructure and security of supply. Rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure has caused a surge in demand for electricity. Geopolitical tensions are creating new volatility in global energy markets.
By the end of the current week gold in bullion was sold at about $4685 per ounce. That is, the price fell by about 7% during the week. The sharp rise in oil, natural gas and fuel prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East increases inflationary concerns and makes it less likely that central banks will reduce the cost of borrowing. This has a negative impact on gold as it does not earn interest income.
The volume of car imports from China to the European Union for the first time exceeded the export of European car products to China, Ernst & Young (EY) – one of the world’s largest audit and consulting companies – reported.
Ships that are not linked to “Iran’s enemies” can pass through the Strait of Hormuz with the agreement of security measures with Tehran. This was stated by the representative of the Islamic Republic to the International Maritime Organization Ali Mousavi, Reuters reports.
The Euro showed surprising stability last week, contrary to the broader change in sentiment over the energy crisis and was the target of a sell-off within a basket of G10 currencies.
