Ciclo de juros e crédito caro

Com a Selic em 15% e possível início de cortes em março, decisões seguem dependentes de inflação e câmbio. A combinação de juros altos e mercado de trabalho firme afeta financiamento, valuation e demanda, pressionando setores intensivos em capital e importadores.

Auto trade standards and market access changes

Seoul agreed to abolish the 50,000-unit cap recognizing US FMVSS-equivalent vehicles, and broader auto provisions remain in talks amid tariff threats. Even if volumes are modest, rule changes shift competitive dynamics and compliance planning for OEMs and suppliers.

Mining regulatory uncertainty and permitting

Industry criticises the Mineral Resources Development Amendment Bill for ambiguity and shifting obligations, awaiting a revised version in 2026. Uncertainty over beneficiation, residue stockpiles and processing timelines can delay FDI, raise compliance risk, and favour brownfield over greenfield investment.

China’s export-led surplus pressures partners

Europe’s 2025 goods deficit with China widened to €359.3bn as EU imports rose 6.3% and exports fell 6.5%. Persistent Chinese overcapacity and weak domestic demand increase dumping allegations, trade remedies, and localization pressure for multinationals competing with subsidized Chinese champions.

Aviation resilience and competition risk

Regulators are tightening oversight after wartime capacity shocks: El Al faces a potential NIS 121m fine for ‘excessive’ pricing when its share exceeded 50–70% after Oct. 7. Route availability, fares, and travel-risk policies remain sensitive for multinationals.

Gwadar logistics and incentives evolve

Gwadar Airport operations, free-zone incentives (23-year tax holiday, duty-free machinery) and improved highways aim to deepen re-export and processing activity. The opportunity is new distribution hubs; the risk is execution capacity, security costs, and regulatory clarity for investors.

Trade remedies and export barriers

Vietnam faces intensifying trade-defense actions in key markets. Example: the US imposed antidumping duties of 47.12% on Vietnamese hard empty capsules, alongside CVDs. Similar risks can spread to steel and other goods, elevating legal costs and reshaping sourcing strategies.

LNG buildout and Asian markets

Canadian LNG export capacity is advancing through projects such as LNG Canada and Cedar LNG, with long-term supply contracts emerging. This supports upstream and midstream investment, but depends on regulatory certainty, Indigenous agreements, and global LNG pricing.

EU–China trade frictions spillover

France is a key voice backing tougher EU trade defenses, including on China-made EVs; Beijing has signaled potential retaliation such as probes into French wine. Firms should stress-test tariffs, customs delays and reputational exposure across France‑EU‑China supply chains.

Canada–China trade recalibration

Ottawa is cautiously deepening China ties via sectoral deals, including canola concessions and limited EV access, to diversify exports. This invites U.S. political backlash and potential tariff escalation, complicating market-entry, compliance, and reputational risk management for multinationals.

IMF program and policy conditionality

The IMF board review may unlock about $2.3bn, anchoring exchange-rate flexibility, fiscal consolidation and structural reforms. Outcomes influence sovereign risk, access to external financing and FX liquidity, shaping import capacity, profit repatriation, and investor confidence in Egypt.

Port infrastructure under sustained strikes

A concentrated wave of Russian attacks on ports and ships—Dec 2–Jan 12 made up ~10% of all such strikes since 2022—targets Ukraine’s export backbone. Damage and interruptions raise demurrage and storage costs, deter carriers, and complicate export contracting for agriculture and metals.

Tech export controls escalation

US licensing for AI chips and enforcement actions (e.g., Applied Materials penalties) signal tighter extraterritorial controls on semiconductor tools and compute. Multinationals face higher compliance costs, end-use monitoring, and planning risk for China-facing R&D and sales.

Long-term LNG contracting, energy security

Jera signed a 27-year deal with QatarEnergy for 3 mtpa LNG from 2028; Japan imported 66.15m tons in 2023. More long-term contracting supports power reliability for data centers and chip fabs but locks in fossil exposure and price-index risks.

Section 232 national-security tariffs

Section 232 tools remain active beyond steel and aluminum, with investigations spanning pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, critical minerals, aircraft, and more. Even where partner deals grant partial relief, uncertainty around scope and timing complicates long-term supplier selection and U.S. market pricing strategies.

Fiscal consolidation and sovereign risk

Markets anticipate a 2026 budget that sustains consolidation, aided by commodity-linked revenue overperformance. Analysts project deficits narrowing toward ~3.5% of GDP (FY2026/27) and bond yields around 8%. Credible fiscal anchors support lower risk premia and financing conditions for investors.

State asset sales and SOE restructuring

Egypt is preparing 60 state companies—40 for transfer to the Sovereign Fund of Egypt and 20 for stock-market listing—aiming to expand private participation. This creates M&A and PPP opportunities, but governance, valuation, and execution timelines are key risks.

US probes non-tariff barriers

Washington is pressuring Seoul to dismantle “non-tariff barriers,” including digital-platform, mapping-data, and app-store payment rules, and is considering Section 301 actions. This raises compliance and lobbying costs for multinationals and could trigger targeted duties or market-access concessions.

Labor law rewrite by 2026

Parliament plans to finalize a new labor law before October 2026 to comply with Constitutional Court directions and adjust the Omnibus Law framework. Revisions could change hiring, severance, and compliance burdens—material for labor-intensive investors, sourcing decisions, and HR risk.

Defense spending gridlock and procurement

A roughly US$40B multi‑year defense plan is stalled in parliament, risking delays to U.S. Letters of Offer and Acceptance and delivery queues. Uncertainty around air defense, drones and long‑range fires investment affects investors’ risk pricing and operational resilience planning.

AI Basic Act compliance

South Korea’s AI Basic Act introduces duties for high‑impact AI, human oversight, and labeling of AI-generated content, applying to large domestic and foreign platforms. Cross-border digital services face new governance, localization, and documentation requirements affecting product roadmaps and go‑to‑market.

Defense rearmament boosts demand

Germany is accelerating procurement, including a €536m first tranche of loitering munitions within a €4.3bn framework and NATO long-range drone initiatives. This supports select industrial orders and dual-use tech investment, but tightens export controls, compliance, and supply competition for components.

Infrastructure, labor, and logistics fragility

US supply chains remain exposed to chokepoints across ports, rail, and trucking, with labor negotiations and capacity constraints amplifying disruption risk. Importers should diversify entry points, build buffer inventories for critical inputs, and strengthen real-time visibility and contingency routing.

Liquidity regime and Fed balance sheet

Debate over shrinking the Fed balance sheet versus maintaining ample reserves raises the probability of periodic money-market “jumps,” especially in repo and wholesale funding. Volatility tightens bank liquidity, raises hedging costs, and can propagate to global USD funding and trade finance.

Tax and cost-base reset

Budget-linked measures raise employer National Insurance to 15% (from April 2025) and change pension salary-sacrifice NI from 2029/30, expected to raise £4.8bn initially. Combined with business-rates changes, this tightens margins and alters location, hiring, and pricing strategies.

Mining as next export pillar

Saudi Arabia is positioning mining as a core diversification engine, citing an estimated $2.5 trillion resource base and a new investment law emphasizing licensing clarity and ESG. International miners and processors may find opportunities in phosphates, aluminum and rare earths, alongside localization requirements.

BOI Fast Pass investment surge

Government is accelerating roughly THB480bn of BOI-approved projects via “Fast Pass,” targeting over THB1.1tn total investment in 2026. This boosts near-term capex, industrial demand, and supplier opportunities, but increases competition for land, utilities, and skilled labor.

Weather-driven bulk supply disruptions

Queensland wet weather, force majeures and port/logistics constraints tightened metallurgical coal availability, lifting benchmark prices (FOB Australia ~US$218/mt end-2025). Commodity buyers should expect episodic supply shocks, quality variation, and higher inventory/alternative sourcing needs.

Mining push and critical minerals

Saudi is positioning mining as a “third pillar,” citing an estimated $2.5 trillion resource base and new investment frameworks emphasizing transparency and ESG. Opportunities rise in exploration, processing and fertilizer/aluminum chains, while permitting, water use, and ESG scrutiny remain key risks.

Defense rearmament boosts industrial demand

France is increasing defence outlays and production tempo; major primes are hiring at scale (e.g., Thales >9,000 hires globally, ~3,300 in France, over half in defence). Creates opportunities in aerospace/defence supply chains but tightens skilled‑labour availability and compliance requirements.

Shipbuilding and LNG carrier upcycle

Korean shipbuilders are in a profitability upswing with multi‑year backlogs (about $124bn) driven by LNG carriers and IMO emissions rules, while China closes the gap. Global buyers and suppliers should expect capacity constraints, price firmness, and technology-driven differentiation.

Defense-led industrial upswing

Industrial orders surged 7.8% m/m in Dec 2025 (13% y/y), heavily driven by public procurement and rearmament. Defense spending targets ~€108.2bn and weapons-related orders reportedly exceed pre-2022 averages by 20x. Opportunities rise, compliance burdens increase.

Stablecoins become fiscal tool

US policy is positioning Treasury-backed stablecoins as a new buyer base for short-term bills and a lever of dollar reach. This may shift liquidity from bank deposits, alter credit availability, and create new compliance, treasury, and settlement models for multinationals.

Regulatory Change for Logistics and Retail

Proposed reforms to allow 24-hour online operations and “dawn delivery” for big-box retailers are contested by labor groups over night-work burdens. If adopted, it could intensify last-mile competition, reshape warehousing shifts, and increase compliance exposure around working-time rules.

Skilled-visa uncertainty and delays

H-1B tightening—$100,000 fees, enhanced social-media vetting, and India consular interview backlogs reportedly pushing stamping to 2027—raises operational risk for U.S.-based tech, healthcare and R&D staffing. Companies may shift work offshore or redesign mobility programs.

Logistics and labor disruption risk

US port throughput remains vulnerable to labor negotiations and regulatory constraints, amplifying shipment lead-time uncertainty. Any East/Gulf or West Coast disruptions would quickly cascade into inland transport, retail inventories, and just-in-time manufacturing, raising safety-stock and premium freight costs.