Economy
Trump says Xi ‘extremely hard’ to make deal with as steel levies double
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday it was “extremely hard” to make a deal with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping – amid reports they might talk later this week – and as he continued to ramp up his global trade war by doubling tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
The comments and higher levies came as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ministers gathered to discuss the outlook for the world economy in light of the U.S. hardball approach to trade that has rattled world markets.
Trump’s sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries have strained ties with trading partners and sparked a flurry of negotiations to avoid the duties.
The White House has suggested the president will speak to Xi this week, raising hopes they can soothe tensions and speed up a trade deal between the world’s two biggest economies.
However, in the early hours of Wednesday, Trump appeared to dampen hopes for a quick deal.
“I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!” he posted on his Truth Social platform.
China was the main target of Trump’s April 2 tariff blitz, hit with levies of 145% on its goods and triggering tit-for-tat tariffs of 125% on U.S. goods.
Both sides agreed to temporarily de-escalate in May, after the U.S. president delayed most sweeping measures on other countries until July 9.
His latest remarks came hours after his tolls on aluminum and steel were doubled from 25% to 50%, raising tensions with various partners, while exempting Britain from the higher levy.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held talks with EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic on the sidelines of the OECD meeting, a 38-nation grouping of mostly developed countries.
‘Productive discussion’
With the 27-nation EU facing the threat of 50% tariffs on its goods taking effect next month, Sefcovic said he had “a productive and constructive discussion” with Greer.
“We’re advancing in the right direction at pace – and staying in close contact to maintain the momentum,” Sefcovic wrote on the X social media platform.
The EU had warned last month that doubling the metal tariffs would undermine efforts to find a negotiated solution.
Steel tariffs
The OECD cut its forecast for global economic growth on Tuesday, blaming Trump’s tariff blitz for the downgrade.
“We need to come up with negotiated solutions as quickly as possible, because time is running out,” German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche warned.
French Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin said: “We have to keep our cool and always show that the introduction of these tariffs is in no one’s interest.”
Canada, the largest supplier of metals to the United States, has called Trump’s tariffs “illegal and unjustified.”
After talks between U.K. Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Greer on Tuesday, London said imports from the U.K. would remain at 25% for now. Both sides needed to work out duties and quotas in line with the terms of a recently signed trade pact.
“We’re pleased that as a result of our agreement with the U.S., U.K. steel will not be subject to these additional tariffs,” a British government spokesperson said.
The Group of Seven advanced economies – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – was due to hold separate trade talks on Wednesday.
Mexico will request an exemption from the higher tariff, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said, arguing that it was unfair because the United States exports more steel to its southern neighbor than it imports.
“It makes no sense to put a tariff on a product in which you have a surplus,” Ebrard said.
Mexico is highly vulnerable to Trump’s trade wars because 80% of its exports go to the United States, its main partner.
While some of Trump’s most sweeping levies face legal challenges, they have been allowed to remain in place for now as an appeals process takes place.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Tuesday that the Trump administration sent letters to governments pushing for offers by Wednesday as the July 9 deadline approached.
Türkiye and the United Kingdom are continuing work on the procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, the National Defense Ministry said Monday.
The statement came after a team of experts from the ministry inspected aircraft maintenance facilities at the Royal Air Force’s Coningsby Air Base in the U.K. from Sept. 15-17.
Türkiye earlier this month said its pilots had begun flight training in August as part of the Eurofighter agreement signed with the United Kingdom.
“The work on the Eurofighter Typhoon procurement project being carried out with the United Kingdom continues as part of the modernization efforts of our Air Force,” the ministry said.
It described the visit as a “strategic” step toward planning maintenance and sustainment processes, ensuring compatibility of technical infrastructure and strengthening bilateral cooperation.
The inspection was conducted as Ankara and London continue their work on the Eurofighter Typhoon procurement project, according to the ministry.
The agreement signed in late October last year covers 20 Eurofighter jets that Türkiye will buy from the U.K. The deal is worth about 8 billion pounds ($10.8 billion).
This March, the countries signed a technical and logistical agreement for the maintenance and operation of the warplanes.
Britain, a leading partner in the Eurofighter program, had been Türkiye’s most vocal supporter, and the agreement followed long negotiations to overcome a German objection to the sale.
Türkiye’s interest in the Typhoon was first reported in 2022, as Ankara grew frustrated with prolonged negotiations over the acquisition of F-16 fighter jets from the U.S.
Türkiye is scheduled to receive the first of the batch of Typhoons in 2030. The deal provides the option for the sale of more jets in the future.
In addition, Türkiye also plans to purchase 12 secondhand jets from Qatar and 12 others from Oman.
Meanwhile, Türkiye is developing its own fifth-generation fighter jet. Named Kaan, the stealth fighter is sought to replace the Air Force Command’s aging F-16 fleet, which is planned to be phased out starting in the 2030s.
Türkiye’s manufacturing capacity utilization rate rose in September, while business confidence edged higher, the country’s central bank said Monday.
The unadjusted capacity utilization rate in the manufacturing sector increased 0.7 percentage points from the previous month to 74.2%, the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) said.
The seasonally adjusted rate rose 0.6 percentage points to 74.1%.
Among the main industrial groups, the highest utilization rate in September was 74.5% in intermediate goods, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous month.
At the other end, durable consumer goods recorded the lowest rate at 66.4%, a decline of 1.8 percentage points month-over-month.
By sector, the manufacture of wood products posted the highest capacity usage at 83.7%, while the lowest rate, 59.8%, was recorded in the leather industry.
The data was based on responses from 1,982 manufacturing companies participating in the central bank’s business tendency survey.
Business confidence edges higher
Separate data by the CBRT showed the seasonally adjusted Real Sector Confidence Index rose 0.1 percentage points in September to 102.5.
Assessments of the overall business outlook, current total orders, total orders over the past three months and employment expectations for the next three months contributed positively to the index.
Expectations for export orders over the next three months, assessments of finished-goods inventories, fixed-capital investment spending and expected production over the next three months weighed on the index.
The unadjusted Real Sector Confidence Index fell 0.8 percentage points from the previous month to 102.
Mixed signals in orders and production
Companies’ assessments of production volumes over the past three months shifted further toward those reporting an increase.
The balance of responses on domestic orders shifted from a decline toward an increase, while assessments of export orders moved from an increase toward a decline.
Fewer companies said current total orders were below seasonal norms, while more respondents assessed finished-goods inventories as above seasonal norms.
For the next three months, expectations for higher production and export orders weakened, while expectations for an increase in domestic orders strengthened.
Expectations for higher employment over the next three months also strengthened, while expectations for fixed-capital investment over the next 12 months weakened.
Producer price expectations ease
Expectations for higher average unit costs over the next three months strengthened, as did reports of higher costs over the previous three months.
Expectations for higher selling prices over the next three months also increased.
The manufacturing sector’s expectation for annual producer-price inflation over the next 12 months fell 0.2 percentage points from the previous month to 31%.
Meanwhile, the share of respondents who viewed the overall outlook in their industry as worse than the previous month weakened, indicating a less pessimistic assessment of conditions.
Türkiye generated a combined 442.2 terawatt-hours of electricity from solar and wind power between 2015 and 2025, according to data from the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry released Monday.
The output helped avoid $21.5 billion in coal imports and an estimated 354 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the ministry said.
The release coincided with the World Zero Emissions Day, observed on Sept. 21 since 2008 to raise awareness of the impact of fossil fuels, reduce carbon footprints and promote renewable energy.
Türkiye generated 11,847 gigawatt-hours of electricity from solar and wind in 2015, replacing electricity that would have required around $300 million worth of imported coal and avoiding an estimated 9.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the ministry said.
Renewable generation increased over the following decade, reducing the potential carbon emissions associated with fossil-fuel-based power generation.
Between 2015 and 2025, the 442.2 TWh generated by solar and wind was equivalent to electricity that would have required $21.5 billion in imported coal or $43.3 billion in imported natural gas, according to the ministry.
If the same amount of electricity had been generated entirely from imported coal, about 354 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions would have been avoided. If it had instead been generated entirely from natural gas, the avoided emissions would have amounted to about 177 million tons.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Türkiye was continuing to maximize its renewable-energy potential as part of its targets for net-zero emissions by 2053 and greater energy independence.
“Between 2015 and 2025, the 442.2 TWh of electricity we generated from wind and solar prevented carbon emissions of up to 354 million tons,” Bayraktar said in a post on the social media platform X.
He said Türkiye had also avoided tens of billions of dollars in fossil-fuel imports while expanding renewable energy.
Bayraktar said Türkiye had risen to fifth place in Europe and 11th globally in renewable energy by installed capacity and investment, and reiterated the country’s target of reaching 120 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2035.
The shares of solar and wind power in Türkiye’s electricity generation reached 11.6% and 12.1%, respectively, as of this July.
Solar power’s share of electricity generation rose 28-fold from 0.4% in 2016, while wind power’s share increased from 5.7% to 12.1% over the same period.
The rise in renewable generation was accompanied by a significant expansion in installed capacity.
Türkiye’s total electricity generation capacity reached 126,476 megawatts (MW) at the end of July. Solar accounted for 27,507 MW, or 21.7% of total installed capacity, while wind capacity reached 15,358 MW, representing 12.1%.
Combined solar and wind capacity stood at 42,865 MW, accounting for 33.8% of Türkiye’s total installed electricity capacity.
Solar power generation also reached a new monthly record in July after setting a previous record in June. Solar-generated electricity totaled 5.37 billion kilowatt-hours in July, the highest monthly level on record.
Iranian airlines will have trouble functioning globally in two days under the weight of American sanctions, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Monday, as the Trump administration seeks to keep pressure on Tehran.
On Sept. 23, Wednesday, “all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC in an interview.
“If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,” he added.
The war in Iran started after the United States and İsrael launched joint strikes in late February.
Tehran countered by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for energy transit, causing global oil prices to surge as the conflict spread in the Middle East.
Earlier this month, the United States imposed sanctions on “all remaining Iranian airlines” that had yet to face such penalties.
The Treasury Department also took aim at targets for supporting Iran’s aviation sector, including firms based outside Iran.
Bessent previously vowed the United States would declare “economic D-Day” on Iran and pledged to choke off Tehran financially.
Bessent’s comments came a day after he met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for economic talks laying the groundwork for President Donald Trump’s summit this Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
China is one of Iran’s top economic partners and diplomatic backers.
Iran’s aviation sector has long grappled with sanctions, which have restricted its ability to acquire aircraft, spare parts and maintenance services.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) briefly climbed past $1 trillion in market capitalization for the first time on Monday, marking a milestone for the chipmaker, which joined a small group of competitors with a similar valuation as investors bet on its expanding role in artificial intelligence computing.
The company’s shares were last up 9% at $610, after surging to an all-time high of $613.92, creating a valuation of just over $1 trillion.
The milestone caps a stellar rally for the Santa Clara, California-based AMD, regarded as the closest rival to AI bellwether Nvidia for graphics processing units (GPUs).
It becomes the fourth U.S. chipmaker to top a $1 trillion valuation, after Nvidia, Broadcom and Micron. Nvidia crossed the mark in 2023 and is now the world’s most valuable company, worth more than $5 trillion.
AMD has accelerated its AI product launches and moved beyond selling individual chips to offering complete systems that combine processors, networking gear and related hardware, helping it compete with Nvidia’s products.
The company is also benefiting from rising demand for central processing units used alongside graphics processors in servers handling inference. That has helped AMD take market share from Intel.
Early last month, AMD forecast quarterly revenue above Wall Street estimates, which fell short of lofty investor expectations, sending its stock down over 7% on the day. Since then, it has leaped over 26%.
Most chip stocks surged on Monday, with Intel jumping around 11%, Qualcomm rising 4.1% and the broader chips index gaining 2.6% to a one-month high.
Türkiye has extended the liquidation period of scores of investment funds at the center of a liquidity crunch that prompted authorities to intervene, while detaining more people and freezing assets linked to executives.
Authorities stepped in last week to shore up market stability after some investment funds defaulted on redemption requests, triggering a sharp selloff in Türkiye’s benchmark stock index. The measures helped the index recover some of its losses.
As part of the intervention, the Capital Markets Board (SPK) mandated Ziraat Bank and Işbank to oversee the liquidation of 131 investment funds managed by seven portfolio management companies, including Tera Pörtfoy, Pusula Pörtfoy and Hedef Pörtfoy, on the TEFAS electronic fund trading platform.
Late Sunday, the SPK said it was extending the liquidation period given to the banks to six months from three months, “considering the portfolio structures of the funds subject to liquidation and market developments.” It did not elaborate. The assets under management of liquidated funds have been said to exceed TL 890 billion ($18.3 billion).
An investigation into suspected share price manipulation has led to the detention of top executives from several firms and drawn scrutiny to concentrated bets in thinly traded stocks.
Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said Friday the liquidation would not put pressure on Borsa Istanbul Stock Exchange because regulatory changes should prevent any contagion risk. He said authorities would continue to monitor the market closely.
On Saturday, the Justice Ministry said that Pusula Holding Chair Serdar Turhan, Tera Yatırım Holding Chair Emre Tezmen and three fund administrators had been detained as part of the investigation. It said four other suspects had already been arrested and all other suspects identified by the Capital Markets Board had been barred from leaving the country and had their assets frozen.
On Sunday, the ministry said it had identified a transfer of $15 million from Turhan’s account to an account in Switzerland, and another transfer of $25 million from an account belonging to Muhammed Yarız, another executive at Pusula Pörtfoy Yönetim, which is linked with Pusula Holding.
The ministry added that Nihat Kırmızı, the chairman of the Doğa Sigorta firm, was also detained as part of the probe.
15 detained over Katılımevim shares
On Monday, Justice Minister Akin Gürlek said authorities detained 15 people in a probe into transactions involving shares of Katılımevim, a listed Turkish savings financing company that was founded by Pusula Holding’s Turhan, while freezing assets linked to executives at several investment firms.
Prosecutors launched legal proceedings against 25 suspects in the Katılımevim investigation, Gürlek said in a statement. Ten suspects remained at large.
The SPK last week filed criminal complaints against 38 people over alleged manipulation of shares in Katılımevim and two other listed companies, and imposed two-year trading bans on them.
Authorities froze financial and asset transactions involving executives and officials linked to Pusula Finans Holding, Pusula Yatırım Menkul Değerler, Tera Yatırım Menkul Değerler, Tera Portföy Yönetimi, Hedef Holding, Hedef Portföy Yönetimi, Bulls Yatırım Menkul Değerler, Bulls Portföy Yönetimi and Ufuk Yatırım Yönetim ve Gayrimenkul, Gürlek said Monday.
The government has instructed banks, notaries, land registry authorities and financial crimes watchdog MASAK to prevent assets under investigation from being transferred or reduced, Gürlek said.
Authorities also ordered strict monitoring of transactions by board members, authorized signatories, their spouses and close relatives that could reduce their assets, requiring such transactions to be cleared by prosecutors.
The investigation was continuing, Gürlek said.
Tera says working to repay investors
Tera Pörtfoy said Sunday it had repaid some investors and was working to repay others, but that restrictions imposed by authorities were delaying the process.
“Redemption requests submitted during the period when inflows into our funds were being converted into investments surged within a short timeframe, evolving into a collective outflow demand totaling approximately 300 billion Turkish Lira” ($6.15 billion), Tera Pörtfoy said in a statement.
“It should be appreciated that meeting a demand of this magnitude within such a short period would not be easy for any financial institution,” it said, adding that investors had been paid between September 16 and 18 but that further repayments were not possible “due to transaction restrictions and blocks.”
It also said the firm was ready to cooperate with authorities to conclude the process as quickly as possible.
-
Sports2 days agoJordan tops all-time highest-paid athletes list, Ronaldo closes in
-
Sports2 days agoMbappe swaps Nike for On as Swiss brand plots entry into football
-
Politics3 days agoRift widens between Özel, Imamoğlu camps amid mounting criticism
-
Sports2 days agoInfantino invited to CAF strategy conference as FIFA election looms
-
Economy1 day agoTürkiye revokes license of Iranian Bank Mellat
-
Politics1 day agoTürkiye closely monitoring field as terror-free initiative advances
-
Sports1 day agoTrabzonspor euphoric after Salah hat trick tames Galatasaray
-
Sports1 day agoAcosta outruns Martin to claim maiden MotoGP victory in Austria