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UK Secures £7.5bn Green Energy Investment, Eases Mortgage Rules to Boost Housing MarketUK Secures £7.5bn Green Energy Investment, Eases Mortgage Rules to Boost Housing Market

UK Secures £7.5bn Green Energy Investment, Eases Mortgage Rules to Boost Housing Market

Britain announced a £7.5 billion ($10 billion) clean energy investment deal with Japan’s Sumitomo Group on July 9, focusing on offshore wind and hydrogen infrastructure. Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson said it would "break grid bottlenecks." Sumitomo, a long-term energy investor, has injected over £20 billion in the UK in a decade, marking a key step in the Labour government’s push for private capital in net-zero transitions.
BOJ Warns of Food Price-Driven Inflation; U.S. Tariffs Could Severely Hurt Japan's GDPBOJ Warns of Food Price-Driven Inflation; U.S. Tariffs Could Severely Hurt Japan's GDP

BOJ Warns of Food Price-Driven Inflation; U.S. Tariffs Could Severely Hurt Japan's GDP

Bank of Japan board member Junko Kotani warned on July 9 that surging prices of rice and other foodstuffs are intensifying inflationary pressures, urging vigilance against "second-round effects" that might lift household inflation expectations. Japan’s consumer inflation remains around 3%, but the BOJ’s weighted median inflation gauge—closely watched by policymakers—still lags below the 2% target. Kotani noted economic uncertainty makes it premature to pinpoint the next rate hike, with food prices a critical variable.
RBA Pauses Rate Cuts; Mortgage Stress Shows Regional DivergenceRBA Pauses Rate Cuts; Mortgage Stress Shows Regional Divergence

RBA Pauses Rate Cuts; Mortgage Stress Shows Regional Divergence

Australia’s central bank held its cash rate at 3.85% on July 9, with the Monetary Policy Committee voting 6-3 to wait. While May inflation dipped to 2.1% (core 2.4%, a 3.5-year low), June’s CPI was "slightly stronger than expected," and rising global trade policy uncertainties—like U.S. tariff hikes—prompted the RBA to seek more data confirming inflation’s steady move toward the 2.5% target.
Canada Accelerates Trade Diversification to Counter U.S. Tariff ShocksCanada Accelerates Trade Diversification to Counter U.S. Tariff Shocks

Canada Accelerates Trade Diversification to Counter U.S. Tariff Shocks

Canada is pushing faster trade diversification to fend off U.S. tariff impacts: its U.S. export share dropped 10 percentage points to 68% between May 2024 and May 2025, with auto parts and steel hit hardest. Over the period, U.S.-bound exports fell C$7.7 billion (-15%), while gains to the UK, EU, and Asia-Pacific (C$5.7 billion, +42%) failed to offset the gap.
Canada's S&P/TSX Rises 0.35% as Real Estate Leads, Tariff Impact MutedCanada's S&P/TSX Rises 0.35% as Real Estate Leads, Tariff Impact Muted

Canada's S&P/TSX Rises 0.35% as Real Estate Leads, Tariff Impact Muted

Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite Index ended a two-day slide, edging up 0.35% to 26,998.66 on July 9, with real estate stocks leading gains. Markets reacted divergently to Trump’s 50% copper tariff plan (effective as early as late July) and extended trade talks to August 1: the real estate index (.GSPTTRE) rose 0.5% on H&R REIT’s (HR_u.TO) 4.7% surge amid Blackstone acquisition talks.
Ireland Revises Q1 GDP Down, Germany’s Exports Slide on U.S. Tariff ShiftsIreland Revises Q1 GDP Down, Germany’s Exports Slide on U.S. Tariff Shifts

Ireland Revises Q1 GDP Down, Germany’s Exports Slide on U.S. Tariff Shifts

Ireland’s CSO sharply revised Q1 GDP growth on July 8: annual expansion was cut to 7.4% from 9.7%, as surging U.S. pharmaceutical exports faded. The more indicative Modified Domestic Demand (MDD) was revised up to 2.0% from 0.8%, though 2024 full-year MDD growth was trimmed to 1.8% from 2.7%. GNI*, stripping multinationals’ distortions, showed 4.8% 2024 growth, highlighting GDP’s skew from cross-border capital flows.
Japan's Corporate Bankruptcies Hit 11-Year Half-Year High, Pressures MountJapan's Corporate Bankruptcies Hit 11-Year Half-Year High, Pressures Mount

Japan's Corporate Bankruptcies Hit 11-Year Half-Year High, Pressures Mount

Japan saw 4,990 corporate bankruptcies in H1 2025, up 1.19% year-on-year and the highest H1 tally since 2014. Small businesses bore the brunt: 172 firms collapsed directly due to labor shortages—a record—with 89.8% of failed companies employing fewer than 10 people. They faced a vicious cycle: forced to raise wages but unable to absorb costs, widening the "pay gap" with large corporations.
Australian Business Conditions Surge to 1-Year High, Offset by U.S. Tariff RisksAustralian Business Conditions Surge to 1-Year High, Offset by U.S. Tariff Risks

Australian Business Conditions Surge to 1-Year High, Offset by U.S. Tariff Risks

Australia’s business environment improved sharply in June, with NAB’s Business Conditions Index jumping 9 points to a 13-month peak on July 9, while confidence rose for the third straight month (+3 points). All key metrics strengthened: sales surged 10 points, profitability gained 9 points, and employment edged up 2 points. Capacity utilization hit 83.3%, with future orders climbing 2 points, signaling a shift from early-year weakness and stronger second-half momentum, noted NAB’s Australian Economics Head Gareth Spence.
Euro Zone Shows Recovery Signs as Sentix Hits 3-Year High, German Industry ReboundsEuro Zone Shows Recovery Signs as Sentix Hits 3-Year High, German Industry Rebounds

Euro Zone Shows Recovery Signs as Sentix Hits 3-Year High, German Industry Rebounds

The euro zone’s economic outlook brightened in July: the Sentix Investor Confidence Index surged to 4.5 (up from 0.2), a three-year peak and third straight rise. The current conditions sub-index improved to -7.3 (still contracting), while the expectations gauge jumped to 17.0, signaling optimism. Germany’s index rose to -0.4 (highest since February 2022), with its current conditions improving for five months. Analysts warn sustained recovery could limit the ECB’s rate-cut room.

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