#dWP-VW.THINKTANK I Q4/2025

For years, the Latin American country was all but off-limits. Now, traders and tycoons are pouncing.

Few expect a crash in the year to come

There is a dark side to the model-maker’s stunning growth

China levied initial duties on some dairy imports from the European Union following an anti-subsidy probe, the latest move in a tit-for-tat trade dispute with the bloc.

The US economy expanded in the third quarter at the fastest pace in two years, bolstered by resilient consumer and business spending and calmer trade policies.

Poland seeks to become a permanent member in the Group of 20 — a club of the world’s biggest economies — to help represent dynamic Eastern Europe after a speedy advance in living standards, according to Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski.

Natural gas prices in Europe have fallen close to levels not seen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That should be a tonic for the continent’s battered manufacturers, but may be coming too late.

Germany’s government kicked off a new investment vehicle intended to attract tens of billions of euros in private capital for German mid-sized companies, in particular in critical sectors like energy infrastructure, raw materials, defense and startups.

The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged for a fourth straight meeting as inflation hovers around target and the euro zone weathers global shocks.

Donald Trump said he expects his Federal Reserve chair to lower interest rates if the economy is doing well, the latest signal that the president is eager for a nominee committed to borrowing cost cuts as he nears an announcement of his choice to replace Jerome Powell.

China said it would hold military maneuvers around Taiwan that would include live-fire drills, a move that comes after the US announced a major weapons package for the self-run democracy.

President Xi Jinping declared China is set to meet its economic targets for 2025, with growth expected to reach “about 5%,” providing an upbeat backdrop to data showing a recovery in the nation’s manufacturing sector.

BYD Co. met its full-year sales target and likely surpassed Tesla Inc. to become the world’s largest electric vehicle maker in 2025 — a milestone that’s overshadowed by a challenging outlook for the Chinese auto market in the year ahead.

Donald Trump’s surprise attack on Venezuela has generated debate over whether the US leader set a precedent for Xi Jinping to undertake a similar strike in Taiwan. Either way, the stakes for Beijing are far higher.

European leaders closed ranks behind Denmark as President Donald Trump amplified threats to seize Greenland, warning that existing borders were non-negotiable and arguing Arctic security must be achieved through NATO.

French inflation slowed slightly in December as energy costs fell, indicating little change in the backdrop that has allowed the European Central Bank to keep interest rates on hold.

German inflation slowed more than expected at the end of last year, offering little reason for the European Central Bank to change its course.

President Donald Trump won’t rule out the use of military force to acquire Greenland, the White House said, ramping up tension with fellow NATO member Denmark over a dispute that’s surged back into public view following the ouster of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro.

China’s re-opening of its borders is set to be one of the biggest economic events of 2023. It will have global implications for consumers, companies and poli...

Not all tasks can be automated—at least not yet—but every potential job posting gives companies an opportunity to try.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described “certain sectors” of his country’s economy as being in “very critical” condition in a letter to lawmakers, adding that reviving growth will be his government’s top priority this year.

After striking Venezuela, the US president signaled he’ll apply his foreign policy approach elsewhere, speculating about Cuba and Greenland as places he wants to “help.”

Over 700 key calls on how AI spending and government policies are set to fuel growth, inflation may prove hard to beat, private assets will continue their rise and the dollar will extend its decline.

Despite the best efforts of its social-media censors