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South Korea has initiated its inaugural container vessel expedition through the Arctic toward Europe. The PanStar Acro, with a capacity of 2,758 TEU, set sail from Busan New Port around 9 p.m. on August 22. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries verified the departure and issued the schedule for the voyage. The vessel will navigate along the Northern Sea Route before stopping at three European ports. The entire round trip, lasting approximately 45 days, is planned to conclude back in Busan on October 5.

The Central Bank of Egypt kept its key interest rates unchanged on August 20, extending its policy pause for a fourth consecutive meeting. The Monetary Policy Committee maintained the overnight deposit rate at 19% and the overnight lending rate at 20%. It also kept the main operation and discount rates at 19.5%. The CBE said the decision reflected its assessment of current inflation conditions and the economic outlook since its July meeting. The rates have remained at these levels since February.

Japan’s July trade reached record values as imports outpaced exports. This month marked only the second time in a row that Japan recorded a record high in import value. The surge in crude oil imports played a significant part in this increase, as energy costs climbed. Crude oil import volumes rose by 5.5% from July 2025, ending a three-month period of year-on-year declines. Concurrently, the value of crude shipments surged by 87.8% over the same period. Japan’s heavy reliance on imported energy makes changes in oil prices and exchange rates critical factors influencing its merchandise trade statistics. Meanwhile, exports also hit an all-time monthly record and extended their streak of year-on-year growth to 11 months. The 23.2% rise followed a 19.3% increase in June. Demand for semiconductor-related products continued to be robust, supported by investments linked to artificial intelligence and data centers. A weakening yen contributed to higher yen-denominated overseas sales and made Japanese goods more affordable for certain foreign buyers. Notably, export growth outpaced that of the previous month. Demand for Semiconductors Boosts Japan’s Export Performance Japan’s two largest export markets experienced significant growth in July. Exports to the United States climbed 22.0% from the prior year, reaching around 2.09 trillion yen. Similarly, shipments to China increased by 25.8%, totaling approximately 2.01 trillion yen. The rise was driven by global demand

U.S. stocks saw modest improvements on Wednesday amid a sharp decline in long-term Treasury yields. The S&P 500 increased by 16.22 points, or 0.21%, reaching 7,707.98 and ending a streak of three consecutive losing sessions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 119.65 points, or 0.22%, closing at 53,463.05. The Nasdaq Composite rose by 41.38 points, or 0.16%, finishing at 26,331.09. The decline in government bond yields helped the major indexes recover after days of downward pressure caused by rising borrowing costs.

Data from financial markets indicated that spot gold fell by 0.5 percent to trade at $4,326.75 per ounce, while United States gold futures for December delivery dropped nearly 1.0 percent to $4,382.50 per ounce. This correction followed a sharp, temporary surge on Thursday, when bullion prices hit their highest levels in more than two months before retreating by 1.3 percent amid quick profit-taking.

Global electric vehicle sales increased by 9% year-on-year in July 2026, reaching 1.85 million units. This rise contributed to a total of 11.5 million vehicles sold worldwide during the first seven months of the year, representing a 4% growth compared to 2025. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence disclosed the latest figures on Aug. 13. Their data covers both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models. July also marked the fifth consecutive month of annual growth in global EV demand after a sluggish start to 2026.

South Korea’s automobile exports hit US$6.24 billion in July 2026, reflecting a 7.0% increase compared to the same month last year. This figure sets a new record for July exports. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, the export total exceeded the previous July record of US$5.90 billion, established in 2023. In comparison, exports in July 2025 were valued at US$5.83 billion. Additionally, domestic vehicle sales grew by 0.5% to reach 139,000 units, and production climbed 11.3% to 352,000 vehicles.

Diesel prices remained high as supply constraints in refined products continued to exert upward pressure on fuel markets across the United States and Europe. U.S. ultra-low sulfur diesel futures surged by 7.4% on Monday, closing at $4.19 per gallon, marking their largest single-day increase since July 13. Early Wednesday trading saw the contract near $4.28 per gallon, while European diesel refining margins stayed at historically elevated levels after nearly a 10% increase on Monday.

Gold extended its upward momentum for a third consecutive session on Tuesday, building on the sharp rebound seen last week. Spot gold increased 1% to $4,432.74 an ounce by 0217 GMT, reaching its highest point since June 5 and surpassing the seven-week peak achieved last week. U.S. gold futures also rose 1.7% to $4,492.60. This rally followed gains on Friday and Monday as global bullion markets responded to U.S. economic indicators and interest-rate outlooks.

According to official statistics, Denmark’s annual inflation rate eased to 1.7% in July from 1.9% in June. The consumer price index increased by 1.3% from June, as stated by Statistics Denmark. The core inflation rate stayed steady at 2.3%, showing no change from the previous month. The primary contributors to July’s inflation were restaurants and hotels, with higher holiday home rental prices serving as the main driver within that sector.