
Beijing customs data indicates that Chinese soy imports from Brazil (now its largest supplier), reached its highest level in two years in May. China is the world’s largest importer of soy.

British proposals to give the City of London access to the European Union are “unacceptable” because they seek to maintain the benefits of the single market without the obligations, the bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Tuesday.

Britain’s economy shrank by the most since 1979 in early 2020 as households slashed their spending, according to official data that included the first few days of the coronavirus lockdown.

Japan and Britain aim to clinch a trade deal by the end of July and Tokyo wants to secure at least the same automobile tariffs as it has in its existing European Union trade pact, Tokyo’s chief negotiator said.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) aims to secure an agreement on cutting fisheries subsidies this year, the chair of the talks, and a WTO official said on Tuesday, despite the cancellation of a major meeting due to COVID-19.

Iran has issued an arrest warrant for US President Donald Trump and 35 others over the killing of top general Qassem Soleimani and has asked Interpol for help, Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said announced, according to the Fars news agency.

The European Union agreed on Tuesday to reopen its borders to 14 countries excluding the virus-stricken US, as the pandemic accelerated globally with more than 505,000 deaths worldwide. Of Latin America the only country included in the list is Uruguay.

A new flu virus found in Chinese pigs has become more infectious to humans and needs to be watched closely in case it becomes a potential “pandemic virus”, a study said, although experts said there is no imminent threat.

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro on Monday gave the head of the European Union mission in Caracas, Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, 72 hours to leave the country after the bloc announced sanctions against 11 Venezuelan officials.

Brazil still faces a big challenge to curb the coronavirus pandemic and should do more to integrate its efforts at different levels of government, a top World Health Organization official said on Monday.