Headlines

Atradius forecasts a further rise in insolvencies in 2026, as adverse conditions continue to weigh on companies, affecting operating margins across multiple sectors. The latest Atradius Insolvency Outlook shows that worldwide insolvencies are expected to increase by 3% in 2026, according to a company press release. Atradius' baseline scenario assumes that the current closure of the Strait of Hormuz will begin to normalise from May, with only limited damage to Gulf infrastructure. If the disruption lasts longer, the insolvency projections would need to be revised.

U.K. residential battery supplier GivEnergy Ltd has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators with the Insolvency and Companies list, the UK court handling cases relating to the insolvency of companies in England and Wales, ESS-News.com reported. The filing is a preliminary step under UK insolvency law that triggers a short moratorium, typically up to 10 business days. It protects the company from creditor enforcement while administrators are formally lined up or other action occurs.

A U.S. trade court on Friday considered the legality of a 10 global import tax imposed by President Donald Trump, which several states and small businesses say sidesteps a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated most of his previous tariffs, Reuters reported. A group of 24 mostly Democratic-led states and two small businesses sued the Trump administration to stop the new tariffs, which went into effect on Feb. 24. The hearing is before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Friday private credit does not ​pose a major issue domestically at present but noted ‌risks linked to the $2 trillion industry could be discussed at next week's G7 finance meeting, Reuters reported. "Japan's exposure to the private credit market is not ​particularly large. It's not that there is no investment ​at all, but we do not view this ⁠as a major issue domestically at this point," she said ​at a regular press conference.

The threat of higher inflation has recently gripped Europe, with a spike in prices and other economic effects of the war in Iran expected to hit the region, the New York Times reported. Already, natural gas prices in Europe, a major fuel importer, are around 40 percent higher than they were at the end of February, before the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. The annual inflation rate for the 21 countries that use the euro jumped to 2.5 percent in March, from 1.9 percent in February.

Iran’s demand that oil tankers pay transit tolls in cryptocurrency for passing through the Strait of Hormuz has cast a new light on the country’s $7.8 billion crypto economy and the role digital currencies play for regimes operating outside the mainstream financial system, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Ecuador's government on Thursday said it was raising tariffs on imports from its larger neighbor Colombia to 100% from a prior level of 50%, citing Colombia's alleged ​failure to implement border security measures, Reuters reported. "After confirming Colombia’s failure to implement concrete and effective border security ‌measures, Ecuador is compelled to take sovereign action," the government said in a statement. Ecuador said the tariffs would take effect from May 1.

A celebrity-backed investment scheme could be wound up over £1.3 million of unpaid debts from Kevin Maxwell, The Times reported. Insolvency practitioners have raised concerns about the viability of a deal with creditors which Fortress Capital Partners reached in July. Edwin Kirker, of Kirker & Co, who was appointed to supervise the company voluntary arrangement (CVA), has warned of a series of alleged breaches, including the threatened removal of an independent director of Fortress.

Britain said on Tuesday it would cap interest rates on millions of student loans at 6% from September 2026, saying conflict ​in the Middle East risked pushing up inflation and sharply increasing borrowing costs ‌for graduates, Reuters reported. The student loan system in England and Wales has drawn criticism and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in February he would look at ways to make it fairer. The government ​has been accused by some lawmakers, including in his own Labour Party, ​of ripping off graduates with inflated interest charges and unfavourable repayment ⁠conditions.

The Iran war is darkening the outlook for the world economy — whether or not a fragile ceasefire holds, the head of the International Monetary Fund warned on Thursday, the Associated Press reported. Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that the fund will downgrade its forecast for the world economy next week. “Had it not been for this shock, we would have been upgrading global growth,” Georgieva said in remarks before next week's IMF-World Bank spring meetings.