We know the familiar pattern: “Moscow still loves a loser: failed journalists, has-beens, also-rans, sex pests and disgruntled narcissists end up going to work for the Kremlin.” More essential reading from @michaeldweiss.bsky.social. open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

Chinese goods dumping started before tariffs, ECB study finds reut.rs/4qQxgu6

Headline from a serious and long working paper on the economic impact of Brexit. Possible that this has been feeding into OBR and HMT discussions?

Officials and observers across the Atlantic know full well that should the court strike down the tariffs, in cases brought by a dozen Democratic-run states and two sets of private companies, Trump will find a way to replace them. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

The European Union is setting its sights on finally sealing a major trade agreement with the Latin American Mercosur bloc before Christmas. But first, Ursula von der Leyen needs to get a supermajority of the EU’s 27 member nations to sign off on the deal.

Commission chief von der Leyen is looking to fly to Brazil to ink the long-awaited deal with Mercosur on Dec. 20 — as long as EU capitals give the green light. The date of the signing was floated by Costa at a leaders summit last week. with @zimmerfrau.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/eu-m...

Scoop: EU eyes final signing of Mercosur deal before Christmas (Alternative headline: Friedrich Merz wasn’t wrong, but may have jumped the gun last week.) By @camgijs.bsky.social and @zimmerfrau.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/eu-m...

More than nine months into his second term, the only thing predictable about Mr. Trump’s handling of global affairs is that it will be an unpredictable mix of instinct, grievance and ego. Trump, Long Erratic on the World Stage, Reaches a New Level www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/u...

Number of U.S. sanctions rounds against Russia under Trump: 1 Number of EU sanctions rounds: 19 @victorjack.bsky.social and @evahartog.bsky.social explain why Trump’s sanctions affect the parts EU sanctions cannot reach: www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Wow Chinese state oil majors have suspended purchases of seaborne Russian oil after the United States imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil

China tightens its rare earth choke hold on Europe Here’s the money quote: “In the short term there’s nothing you can do, except try and negotiate with the Chinese.” Worth your time, by @zimmerfrau.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/eu-n...

The EU’s new peace offering to Trump: A bonfire of its business rules. By @mariannegros.bsky.social and @camgijs.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/brus...

NEW:Trump urged Zelenskyy to accept Russia’s terms for ending its war in a volatile White House meeting on Friday, warning that Putin had said he would “destroy” Ukraine if it did not agree. The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy descended many times into a “shouting match” on.ft.com/3WMSQSu

Opinion: China’s export controls on the sector and ring fencing of critical minerals are a big hit to the US. But the reality is that the US has allowed its rival to slowly but surely take over the entire industry on.ft.com/4hn8766

Who’s Eating the Tariffs? (via Goldman) @scottlincicome.bsky.social

Under Russian drones, Ukrainians wonder if Europe still cares www.politico.eu/article/russ... by @thisisbartosz.bsky.social

A quiet bombshell in Europe’s tech world The Dutch government seems to have effectively frozen operations of Nexperia, the Chinese-owned chipmaker, citing national security, according to corporate filing today - via @zichenwanghere

Big intervention from the Dutch government in the operations of Nexperia, the Dutch chip firm that was acquired by China’s Wingtech in 2019 longbridge.com/en/news/2607...

Conservative tech lord Thiel said tighter financial regulations “were a sign that a singular world government has begun to emerge that could be taken over by an Antichrist figure who could then use it to exert control over people.” Via WashPost

Washington, with the help of big American companies like ExxonMobil, has been lobbying the EU to scrap its due diligence rules. Behind closed doors, Brussels is telling EU capitals that it’s not on the table. Read more from @gabrielgavin.bsky.social and I 👇

Sabine Weyand tells member countries that the EU won’t bow to the Trump administration’s demand to rip up its business regulations. Great get from @gabrielgavin.bsky.social and @mariannegros.bsky.social from this week’s no-phones meeting: www.politico.eu/article/eu-t...

Steel looks like the ultimate “told you so” moment for the Remain camp. Let’s see who gets a piece of the EU’s diminished tariff-free imports. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This week’s edition of Most Favoured Nation discusses steel clubs, the limits of the special relationship, and some other things … But is mainly an excuse to share some photos. open.substack.com/pub/mostfavo...

The European Parliament voted today to ban plant-based and lab-grown products from having meat-related names such as “burger,” “sausage” or “steak” on their labels.

Too slow, too timid, too wedded to a rulebook that others have torn up. In Brussels, officials now acknowledge that the China strategy of the past years has failed to deliver. What comes next? And crucially, are members states on board? All in my latest WCIE for GMF www.gmfus.org/news/watchin...

Donald Trump’s tariffs have stung both the EU and India into mounting a big push to get their long-delayed trade deal over the line — fast.

The European Commission is eyeing a possible signature of its long-awaited partnership agreement with the Mercosur bloc of South American countries on Dec. 5 in Brazil, four EU diplomats told @politico.eu w/ @camgijs.bsky.social @koenverhelst.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/brus...

Trump’s tariffs give European wineries — and US importers — a hangover As @rebeccalholland.bsky.social relates, the legacy of Prohibition means that tariffs on European wines are also putting the squeeze on U.S. producers and distributors. Worth your time: www.politico.eu/article/dona...

By my and @ajvicens.bsky.social’s count 15 people have been fired or suspended for commentary tied to the shootings death of Charlie Kirk. Our story: www.reuters.com/world/us/cha...

NEW: Vote on 2040 climate target canceled after big EU governments — including France + Germany — blocked the decision to ensure leaders get a say. On Tuesday, countries will decide the fate of the 2035 Paris Agreement plan/NDC. Full story w/ @l-guillot.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/vote...

Just sent out this free post. Russia attacked Poland last night--and the NATO response indicates institutional and national failure. They were clearly not prepared, cannot even call the Russian attack an attack, and do not understand their real security concerns. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

This is about as sobering as it gets www.politico.eu/article/us-e...

European Council President António Costa appeared to concede the war in Ukraine was a factor in the EU's accepting its much-criticized trade deal with the United States, in a major break from the official line taken by the EU executive.

Below par? EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s dash to Donald Trump’s Scottish golf resort to seal a highly unbalanced trade deal has raised fears that Europe has lost the leverage it once thought it had as a leading global trade power.

The European Commission plans to present the text of two trade agreements with Mercosur and Mexico next week, starting a ratification process that may be difficult for France to swallow.

Ursula von der Leyen’s dash to Donald Trump’s golf resort in Scotland last month to seal an unbalanced trade deal has raised fears among politicians and analysts that Europe has lost the leverage that it once thought it had as a leading global trade power.

The ink is still drying on a leaders’ statement formalizing a tariff deal between the EU and the United States, and President Donald Trump is already threatening to tear it up. w/ colleague in crime @camgijs.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/eu-f...

Europe has lectured Beijing, Washington and New Delhi for years on the importance of rules-based trade. Now, following its not-so-free-trade-friendly trade deal with Trump, the bloc is struggling to reconcile principles and reality. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

“If policymakers fail to act, they risk fueling the very populism they claim to fear.” @thisisbartosz.bsky.social‬ scoops an unvarnished view of the EU's climate backtracking from Connie Hedegaard. www.politico.eu/article/gree...

The proof will be in the pudding, but Monday’s meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House was a diplomatic coup for Europe, showing that when key capitals are united they can’t be ignored. It would be nice to see more of this on China nbarkin.substack.com/p/a-show-of-...

Details of the Swiss-US trade talks are emerging. The lesson? Talking to Trump’s team might, depending on Trump’s mood, be irrelevant and pointing to commitments by them can be - depending on his mood - counterproductive/1 www.blick.ch/schweiz/prot...

Good piece from Joseph de Weck "Coming of age in Switzerland is like sitting in an aquarium looking at the world through a thick bulletproof window. That glass was shattered last week when Donald Trump announced 39% tariffs on Swiss exports". www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Spot-on by Gilles Gressani (@grandcontinent.bsky.social‬): "Europe’s submission [...] amounts to the rejection of any substantial autonomy in exchange for protection." www.ft.com/content/0fa0...

Jaws on the floor (again) at the political protection for the perpetrators of this mega fraud. Where is the reflection on how blatantly — and without consequence — EU farm entitlements are hijacked in the debate on CAP reform? www.politico.eu/article/gree...

‘Less bad’ US trade deal is simply best the EU could get Good to read a differentiated analysis that weighs the difficult trade offs that confronted Team Europe. www.politico.eu/article/us-t...

Tariff roulette: inside Trump’s chaotic trade negotiations https://on.ft.com/3HekS5a

"The Looming Legal Risk Facing Trump’s Tariffs: Inside the room with the judges who will decide their future" Good piece on yesterday's IEEPA tariff hearing (make sure to read the interesting footnote at end!)

Congratulations on your national day. Here’s a massive tariff. That was the one-two punch delivered by the US yesterday, after it hit Switzerland with the highest tariff on any European nation.

the dog ate my trade deal