Reducing uncertainty is urgent for economies and businesses, German Finance Minister Joerg Kukies said on Wednesday, talking about negotiations on trade tariffs with the United States, Reuters reported. "The longer we wait for an agreement, the longer we let the uncertainty (in) both of our economies linger," he said at the Semafor World Economy Summit in Washington. Germany was the only member of the Group of Seven advanced economies that failed to grow for the last two years, and the tariffs announced by U.S.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Wednesday U.S. tariffs could have a disinflationary impact in Europe if there are no European countermeasures but they prompt China to reroute exports to the region, Reuters reported. U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese imports this month, raising them effectively to 145% when levies imposed earlier this year are taken into account.

Cryptocurrency campaigners have stepped up calls for the Swiss National Bank to buy bitcoin, saying that the global economic turmoil triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs made it more important for the central bank to diversify its reserves, Reuters reported. Supporters launched a referendum campaign in December to change the Swiss constitution to require the SNB holds bitcoin in its reserves alongside gold.

CPU cooler maker Scythe may be in deep trouble, as reports suggest the company’s EU division is potentially on the verge of shutting down, TomsHardware.com reported. According to German tech portal Computer Base, CPU coolers from the manufacturer have been in short supply. The primary reason given is that the company's EU division has run out of money and filed for insolvency. As noted by the Consumer Protection Forum, on April 17, 2025, the district court in Reinbek, Germany, issued a "provisional insolvency administration" for Scythe EU GmbH.

Business activity in Germany's private sector has contracted this month, hurt by service sector woes and trade-related uncertainty, although manufacturers are showing some resilience, a survey showed on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The HCOB German flash composite Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by S&P Global, fell to 49.7 in April from 51.3 in March, its lowest point since December and back below the 50.0 threshold that separates growth from contraction.

Laszlo Bige, the owner of Hungarian fertilizer maker Nitrogenmuvek Zrt, ruled out using tangible assets as collateral in a standoff with creditors over extending a looming maturity date for its bonds, Bloomberg News reported. Talks between Nitrogenmuvek and holders of around 70% of the €200 million ($228 million) of bonds due in mid-May concluded last week with no deal. The creditor group had asked for tangible assets to be posted as collateral, as well as some sort of contribution from shareholders as part of the refinancing, Bloomberg reported.

A leading care association in the west is warning some residential homes may go under due to rising costs such as National Insurance (NI) and the national living wage, BBC.com reported. David Smallacombe, chief executive of not-for-profit organisation Care and Support West, says many care home operators will be forced to raise prices for vulnerable residents. He is calling on the government to exempt social care providers from the NI hike, as it already has for the public sector and NHS.

The volume of claims against bankrupt Estonian state-owned airline Nordica has risen sharply since bankruptcy was declared last fall, reaching €85 million, News.err.ee reported. Most of Nordica's assets consist of a claim against its subsidiary, Regional Jet. When the Harju County Court declared Nordic Aviation Group bankrupt at the end of January, claims were initially estimated at €34 million. By the end of March—the deadline for submitting claims — that figure had more than doubled.

Restart Energy One, a Romanian provider of renewable energy solutions with two bond issues listed at the Bucharest Exchange, announced in a note to investors that it is entering into a preventive arrangement to avoid insolvency, Romania-Insider.com reported. Its bonds were recently temporarily suspended from trading amid an investigation conducted by prosecutors involving the company's founder, Profit.ro reported. As of April 22, both bonds are again traded at the Bucharest Stock Exchange.