South Korea's Retail Market Rebounds in May: Double-Digit Online Growth, Luxury Goods Drive First Offline Rise in Four Months
South Korea's retail sector showed signs of recovery in May, with offline sales returning to growth after a four-month slump, driven by strong demand for high-value products, data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy revealed on Wednesday.
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Middle East Turmoil Drives Shipping Risks: China-Middle East Container Rates Surge 50%
The ongoing tension and volatility in the Middle East are significantly impacting the global shipping industry. On June 24, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced the immediate 生效 of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, a move that caused international oil prices—previously soaring due to escalating conflicts—to plunge sharply. However, the region's uncertain situation continues to disrupt the shipping sector.
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Amazon Expands Same-Day and Next-Day Delivery to Over 4,000 U.S. Towns and Rural Areas
On June 24th, Amazon announced a major expansion of its rapid delivery services to more rural regions across the United States, marking a significant step in its efforts to bridge the urban-rural logistics gap. The e-commerce giant revealed plans to offer same-day or next-day delivery to over 4,000 small cities, towns, and rural communities by the end of 2025, bringing faster shipping options to areas that have long faced slower delivery timelines compared to urban centers.
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Indonesia Plans to Require E-commerce Platforms to Withhold Sales Tax from Small and Medium Sellers; Platforms Oppose the Policy
June 25 - Indonesia is planning to introduce a new regulation that will require e-commerce platforms such as TikTok Shop, Shopee, and Lazada to withhold 0.5% sales tax from small and medium-sized sellers with annual turnover ranging from 500 million to 4.8 billion Indonesian rupiah (approximately 30,000 to 300,000 US dollars). The move aims to alleviate the country's weak tax revenue and balance competition between physical stores and e-commerce businesses.
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Niron Magnetics Revolutionizes Magnet Technology with Rare-Earth-Free Breakthrough
Minneapolis, July 23, 2025 – Minneapolis-based Niron Magnetics has unveiled a groundbreaking rare-earth-free permanent magnet technology, poised to reshape the global materials landscape. The innovation, utilizing iron-nitrogen composites, matches the performance of conventional neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets while eliminating supply chain risks associated with rare earths and reducing production costs.
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G20 Pledges Strengthened International Policy Cooperation
G20 finance ministers and central bank governors have issued a joint communiqué, committing to enhance international policy cooperation and sending a signal in support of multilateralism. They emphasized the need to end global trade conflicts soon and called on the U.S. and Europe to reach a fair agreement on tariffs.
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U.S. Aid Cuts Leave Dozens of Global Infrastructure Projects Abandoned
Reuters, citing sources and documents, reports that dozens of global health and water supply infrastructure projects have been halted after the U.S. terminated related aid. The news agency verified 21 stalled projects across 16 countries.
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U.S. House Approves Two Crypto Bills to Boost Legitimacy
On July 17, the U.S. House passed two key crypto bills, marking the first major step toward formal industry regulations. The moves aim to legalize digital assets and pave their way to mainstream financial status.
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Trump's 50% Tariff on Amazon Sparks Fears of Retail Upheaval
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing a 50% tariff on all goods sold through Amazon, set to take effect on August 1, 2025. The move, citing Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, accuses Amazon of "unfair competitive practices" and "monopolistic behavior."
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TikTok Shop US Mid-Year Sale Posts Stellar First-Week Results: Multi-Modes and Categories Thrive
TikTok Shop’s US mid-year promotion has kicked off with a historic first-week performance, breaking records across multiple business models and product categories, according to updates on July 18.
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U.S. Launches Section 301 Investigation Against Brazil
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the initiation of a Section 301 investigation into Brazil. The probe will examine whether Brazil’s policies and practices in areas such as digital trade, electronic payment services, "unfair" preferential tariffs, intellectual property protection, ethanol market access, and deforestation-related measures negatively impact U.S. trade interests.
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