Global Economies Show Resilience Despite Tariff Fears, Surveys Show
The eurozone's composite purchasing managers' index—a measure of activity across the private sector—showed business growth in July expanding at the fastest rate in nearly a year as new orders stabilized. Separate surveys for the Japanese and Australian economies pointed to growth despite declines in new export orders received by factories. In contrast, Indian factories reported a continued expansion in overseas orders, which supported rapid economic growth.
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While Starmer and Trump reached a preliminary trade deal in May to lower some U.S. duties on British goods, they have yet to come to hash out the terms for a promised 'alternative arrangement' for steel and aluminum tariffs, a top priority for the British government. The golfing visit is "an opportunity for the PM to build personal rapport with Trump,' said one U.K. government adviser, granted anonymity to speak candidly about the visit. 'They have a good relationship, but this is where Starmer will need to shine in an informal setting." Trump has recently insisted that any trade deal will require other countries to open their markets. The president has claimed that Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam will drop all tariffs on U.S. goods as part of their trade agreements. Officials from those countries, however, have either not substantiated or have publicly challenged those claims. On Tuesday, he announced a deal with Japan in which the country has pledged to lower tariff barriers on U.S.-made cars and import more agricultural goods, like rice. Trump told reporters Friday morning that while he wasn't overly confident about reaching a deal with the EU, he was still more optimistic than he had been about coming to terms with Japan in the days before that agreement was finalized. 'I would have said we have a 25 percent chance with Japan. And they kept coming back, and we made a deal,' he said. Dan Bloom and Andrew McDonald contributed to this story from London. Koen Verhelst contributed from Brussels. Solve the daily Crossword
