1. Refund of $166 billion in tariffs by the United States and Fed concerns about inflation: Following a decision by the Supreme Court, the U.S. government has begun refunding $166 billion in import tariffs to importers. Approximately 1.74 million shipments are expected to be processed by early May 2026. However, this move coincides with a 3.5% increase in the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index in March 2026 and oil prices remaining above $100 per barrel, putting pressure on inflation control targets. Federal Reserve officials warn they may be forced to keep interest rates unchanged between 3.50% and 3.75%, or even tighten them further if inflation risks worsen.
2. Japan claims there is no limit to the number of interventions to protect the yen: According to data from the Bank of Japan (BoJ), the government spent an additional $32.06 billion to buy yen and intervene in the market, bringing the exchange rate to 156.13 yen/USD after selling $35 billion in late April 2026. Vice Finance Minister Atsushi Mimura stated that Japan is not subject to any limits on the frequency of its interventions and maintains close coordination with the United States ahead of the visit of U.S. Finance Minister Scott Bessent to Tokyo on May 11. Faced with inflationary pressures related to import costs, the BoJ is pressured to raise interest rates in June 2026 to sustainably stabilize its national currency, instead of relying solely on unilateral intervention measures.
3. Thai fruit sector faces a double challenge: climate anomalies and export standards: The particularly intense El Niño phenomenon threatens this sector, with an expected 40% decrease in lychee production and around 3.2% in longan production in 2026, totaling more than 1.48 million tons compared to last year. In addition to these climate anomalies, producers must also contend with strict import standards imposed by China regarding sulfur dioxide residues, as well as logistic challenges on the Laos-China railway line. To overcome these challenges, the Thai government is implementing proactive measures such as agricultural zoning, improving quality control procedures, and approving longan orchard restoration projects in northern provinces.
4. Anthropic partners with SpaceX to accelerate the race for AI infrastructure: AI company Anthropic has signed a major computer partnership agreement with SpaceX to utilize over 300 megawatts of capacity and 220,000 Nvidia chips within the Colossus 1 data center. This collaboration follows the merger of xAI with SpaceX by billionaire Elon Musk, creating SpaceXAI in a $1.25 trillion deal, paving the way for the largest IPO in history. This new infrastructure will allow Anthropic to significantly enhance its Claude programming tools and strengthen its position in providing specialized AI agents to businesses, competing with OpenAI.
5. Samsung stops selling home appliances in China: Samsung Electronics has decided to stop selling home appliances such as TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines in the Chinese market to adapt to rapidly changing business conditions and national competition. This decision comes as the company’s market share has fallen below 1%, while the top eight Chinese brands currently hold 94.1% of national TV sales. While continuing its mobile phone business, Samsung is forced to reduce its product range after recording a loss of 200 billion won in its digital devices division by 2025, due to rising raw material costs.
6. European aviation facing a severe fuel crisis: The European aviation industry is facing its most severe crisis since the 2020 pandemic due to geopolitical tensions driving a 106.6% year-on-year increase in jet fuel prices in March 2026. Lufthansa anticipates an additional €1.7 billion increase in energy costs in 2026, compelling companies to reduce costs and optimize flight networks to adapt to a volatile market. Given the region’s high dependence on imported oil, major airlines have begun to raise international fares by 5% to 15%, in addition to surcharges, to maintain their operations.
