In China’s northeastern grain belt, farmers are getting a windfall from the government: more subsidies to grow soybeans, part of an estimated $1 trillion national effort to declare economic independence from the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported. More than 7,500 miles away, in Milwaukee, the industrial-parts manufacturer Husco is scrambling to use fewer Chinese-made components in its U.S. factories, as the Trump administration wields tariffs to reduce imports and try to resurrect American manufacturing.
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The Chinese company operating ports at the Panama Canal has filed for arbitration after the country’s Supreme Court voided its operating contract, claiming it was unfairly targeted by the country over the past year, Freight Waves reported. Panama Ports Company, a unit of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, said on Wednesday that it has commenced arbitration proceedings against Panama over its concession contract at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.
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Almost half a trillion dollars has been wiped off cryptocurrencies in less than a week as a selloff led by Bitcoin accelerated, Bloomberg News reported. Total crypto market value has slumped by $467.6 billion since Jan. 29, according to CoinGecko data. Bitcoin on Tuesday tumbled to its lowest level since US President Donald Trump won re-election in early November 2024 and ushered in a more crypto-friendly administration. Despite a pro-crypto White House and surging institutional adoption, Bitcoin has plummeted about 40% since rocketing to a record in early October.
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Klöckner Pentaplast (kp) has completed its restructuring under the US Chapter 11 process, resulting in the removal of around €1.3bn ($1.5bn) in funded debt from its balance sheet, EuroNews.com reported. The company’s exit from court oversight follows an injection of €349m in new capital as part of its plans to stabilise ongoing operations. Ownership of Klöckner Pentaplast has now shifted to a consortium of financial partners led by funds affiliated with Redwood Capital Management.
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President Donald Trump said he is “decertifying” all aircraft built in Canada, and he threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on Canadian aircraft sold to the United States — an escalation of trade tensions between the neighboring countries that could have ramifications for U.S. air travel, the Washington Post reported. In a Truth Social post late Thursday, Trump accused Canada of “wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly” refusing to certify models of Gulfstream jets and “effectively prohibiting” the sale of the American-owned business jets in Canada.
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Azul S.A. announced on Jan. 28 that its subsidiary Azul Secured Finance LLP has launched a private offering of senior secured notes due 2031 to provide exit financing under the airline’s court-approved chapter 11 restructuring plan, primarily to repay its debtor-in-possession facility and, with any remaining funds, to support a broader restructuring aimed at optimizing its capital structure and liquidity, TipRanks.com reported.
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A top court in Panama ruled on Thursday that a lucrative port contract held by a Hong Kong company was unconstitutional, a decision that will most likely deepen tensions between the United States and China in Latin America, the New York Times reported. The decision against the company, CK Hutchison, could eventually clear the way for U.S. and European companies to operate the strategically important ports. Last year, President Trump backed a deal that would have transferred control of the Panamanian ports and many others to a group led by a large American financial firm.

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Two global trading houses that brokered an opaque deal with the Trump administration this month to sell Venezuelan oil were previously prosecuted for bribery schemes involving oil sales elsewhere, court records show, underscoring concerns by anti-corruption experts and lawmakers that the arrangement is vulnerable to abuse, the Washington Post reported. The administration granted confidential licenses to Vitol and Trafigura in early January to sell Venezuelan oil with little independent oversight.
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