Lagos, Dec. 11, 2025 – Sterling Bank Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) to certify graduates of its Non-Oil Export Academy. This strategic partnership underscores the Bank’s commitment to diversifying Nigeria’s economy by supporting non-oil export growth. This landmark agreement follows the recent launch of the Sterling Bank Non-Oil Export Academy, designed to position Nigerian exporters for global competitiveness. The launch was preceded by a series of nationwide training programs in Lagos, Ondo, and Kano states, culminating in a grand …
US container imports drop 7.8% in November amid demand slump
Los Angeles, Dec. 10, 2025 – U.S. container imports fell 7.8% in November from the year earlier, due to soft demand for goods from China and one less day in the Thanksgiving holiday month, supply chain technology provider Descartes Systems Group said on Tuesday. Seaports handled 2,183,048 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of imports in November, in line with normal seasonal drops. Still, it was the fourth-strongest November on record – trailing 2020, 2021 and 2024 – despite trade policy and economic uncertainty. Imports from China fell 19.7% year …
China’s trade surplus tops $1 trillion despite plunge in US-bound exports
Beijing, Dec. 8, 2025 – China’s towering annual trade surplus surpassed $1 trillion for the first time last month, data showed Monday, as a sharp drop in shipments to the United States was offset by surging exports to other major markets. Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump reached a tentative truce to their fierce trade war when they met in late October, agreeing a pause to painful measures that included lofty tit-for-tat tariffs. Exports have served as a key economic lifeline for China as trade and relations with the …
MAKEMS 2025 Jewelry Exhibition holds in Abuja on Saturday
…. As collectors join in ongoing Makem Jewelry Auction bid Abuja, Nov. 27, 2025 – The highly-anticipated MAKEMS Jewelry Exhibition is set to dazzle jewelry enthusiasts once again this year, promising an unforgettable showcase of handmade and carefully-selected treasures. This is just as collectors continue to join the bid in the “Makem Jewelry Auction” for the Royal Amethyst & Baroque Gold Prestige Suite – a commanding fusion of raw amethyst, hand-forged gold and rare baroque pearls. As one-of-a-kind masterpiece crafted for collectors, who demand rarity, presence and pure opulence, more …
Black Friday arrives with solid momentum despite tariffs, economic uncertainty
New York, Nov.27, 2025 – Black Friday may no longer be the retail bacchanalia of years past, when the promise of one-time bargains caused people to leave Thanksgiving tables for malls where some customers got into fistfights over toys or TVs. But the event still has enough enthusiasts to make it the biggest shopping day in the U.S. For that reason, the day retains its crown as the official start of the holiday shopping season. This year’s kickoff comes as companies navigate an uncertain economic environment and wrestle with …
Trump moves to keep Xi truce intact while reassuring ally Japan
Washington, Nov. 25, 2025 – President Donald Trump held back-to-back calls with the leaders of China and Japan, as escalating tensions over Taiwan already threaten to derail his weeks-old trade truce with Beijing. Trump’s hour-long conversation with President Xi Jinping on Monday marked their first contact since Japan’s new prime minister enraged Beijing by suggesting her nation’s troops could be drawn into a Taiwan crisis. Xi told his US counterpart Taiwan’s return to China was an “integral part of the postwar international order,” according to the Chinese readout. Trump’s own …
China starts easing rare earth export rules, but short of Trump’s expectations
Beijing, Nov 7, 2025 – China has begun designing a new rare earth licensing regime that could speed up shipments, but it is unlikely to amount to a complete rollback of restrictions as hoped by Washington, industry insiders said. The Ministry of Commerce told some rare earth exporters they will be able to apply for new streamlined permits in the future and in industry briefings outlined the documents that will be required, two sources familiar with the matter said. The export curbs have become Beijing’s most potent source of leverage …
A Trump Supreme Court tariff defeat would add to trade uncertainty
Washington, Nov. 7, 2025 – The U.S. Supreme Court’s tough questioning of President Donald Trump’s global tariffs fueled increased speculation that they will be struck down, but raised the specter of additional chaos as he is widely expected to shift to other trade tactics in the wake of an adverse ruling. On Wednesday during oral arguments, Supreme Court justices cast doubt on Trump’s authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which contains no references to tariffs – only language on regulating imports during …
China’s exports continue to grow in spite Trump’s tariffs
New York, Nov. 4, 2025 – As President Trump has imposed steep tariffs on China, American importers are buying much less. But the rest of the world is making up the difference, buying more from China than ever. China has offset the decline from America with breathtaking speed. Shipments to other parts of the world have surged this year, demonstrating that China’s manufacturing dominance will not be easily slowed. Chinese exports are on track to reach another record this year. That’s because China was prepared. It has been seeking …
Oil prices rise after US, China reach trade-deal framework
London, Oct 27 (Reuters) – Oil prices rose on Monday after U.S. and Chinese economic officials sketched out a trade-deal framework, easing fears that tariffs and export curbs between the world’s top two oil consumers could dent global economic growth. Brent crude futures rose 47 cents, or 0.71%, to $66.41 a barrel by 0629 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 44 cents, or 0.72%, to $61.94, after rising 8.9% and 7.7%, respectively, in the previous week on U.S. and EU sanctions on Russia. Haitong Securities said in …