Zimbabwe joins the wave of resource nationalism

Zimbabwe banned the exports of raw lithium ores in 2022, and then banned the exports of all raw mineral ores this year. Isabeau Van Halm explores the latest example of a wave of critical mineral resource nationalism. In December 2022, Zimbabwe banned raw lithium ore exports to minimise the economic potential of artisanal mining and encourage investments in state-approved production facilities. Then in January 2023 another ban followed, according to the state-owned newspaper The Herald, this time covering all base Read Full Details…

Economists see global economic downturn to impact Malaysia’s 2023 external trade

Malaysian economists have said that a global economic downturn is expected to drag Malaysia’s 2023 external trade. Maybank Investment Bank said in a note that it forecasts slower 2023 exports and imports growth of 4 percent and 6 percent respectively for Malaysia as it expects global real gross domestic product growth to slump this year amid stagnation or recession in major advanced economies. “Keeping this year’s external trade in the slow growth territory is the expected firmer growth of China, Read Full Details…

Oil and gas supplies made Germany Norway’s most important export partner in 2022

Germany imported around 62 billion euros of Norwegian natural gas, oil and condensates in 2022 and has become the country’s number one goods importer, said the German-Norwegian chamber of commerce. Of a total of around 68 billion euros spent in imported goods from Norway last year, around 58 billion euros accounted for gas deliveries alone. “These figures show the importance of Norway for Germany,” head of AHK Norway Michael Kern said. Norway increased its gas production by ten percent last Read Full Details…

Malaysia’s trade surplus hits record high in 2022, growth expected at ‘softer pace’ this year

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s trade surplus hit a record high of RM255.1 billion (US$59.09 billion) last year, International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said on Wednesday (Jan 18). This is the 25th consecutive year the country has recorded a trade surplus since 1998. A trade surplus occurs when the value of a country’s exports exceeds the costs of its imports. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), however, has warned that the country’s trade performance is Read Full Details…