Switzerland has unveiled plans to significantly expand its export control regulations, extending oversight to emerging dual-use technologies like quantum computing, advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and additive manufacturing (3D printing). This move aims to align Swiss export practices more closely with evolving international norms, while simultaneously ensuring that Switzerland’s domestic research institutions and industries maintain access to essential technological capabilities.

The term “dual-use” applies to goods and technologies possessing both civilian and military applications. In recent months, these have come under increased scrutiny worldwide due to their growing strategic significance. In the context of quantum computing, export restrictions commonly encompass quantum processors, specialized control electronics, cryogenic cooling systems, as well as software and cryptographic algorithms.

President Donald Trump’s latest round of trade tariffs has sparked deep anxiety within the global shipping industry, threatening significant disruptions to maritime trade as shipping companies struggle to anticipate the fallout from intensifying trade tensions.

On Wednesday, Trump’s administration is expected to unveil wide-ranging “reciprocal tariffs,” aiming specifically at countries that impose substantial duties on American goods. This announcement follows previous tariff measures imposed on key U.S. trading partners such as China, Mexico, and Canada, covering products ranging from steel to automobiles.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump is preparing to announce the most far-reaching trade restrictions implemented by the United States in nearly a century, fundamentally reshaping the international trading system built since World War II and introducing significant uncertainty into global economic relations.

Trump’s expected policy, referred to as “reciprocal tariffs,” has left global investors, business leaders, policymakers, and consumers unsure about the precise implications and scale of the anticipated measures. With discussions still ongoing just a day before the announcement, crucial details such as the exact tariff rates, targeted countries, and affected goods remain uncertain, contributing to heightened anxiety in international markets.

U.S. natural gas prices, already about 80% higher than a year ago, are poised for additional volatility as markets brace for the impact of the latest wave of trade tariffs announced by the U.S. government. The newly imposed tariffs are expected to have significant indirect consequences for the natural gas market, particularly through exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

LNG trade volumes are likely to become a bargaining tool in international trade negotiations, leading to potential disruptions and shifts in demand patterns. Countries that wish to avoid further tariffs or reduce their trade surpluses with the United States may respond by increasing their purchases of American LNG.

Chile’s state-run mining giant Codelco, the largest copper producer globally, announced on Wednesday that it would supply copper concentrates to a $1.2 billion copper smelting facility owned by India’s Adani Group, a plant noted for being the largest single-location copper smelter in the world.

This arrangement is scheduled to commence within this year. The agreement was finalized during a meeting between Maximo Pacheco, Codelco’s chairman, and Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, at the conglomerate’s headquarters in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in western India.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te emphasized Wednesday that Taiwan plays a crucial role in global supply chains, pledging that his administration would protect local businesses amid concerns over new U.S. import tariffs expected to be announced later the same day. The United States, under President Donald Trump, is preparing to unveil broad tariff measures targeting 15 countries with notably large trade surpluses with the U.S.

These countries have been informally labeled the “Dirty 15” by senior Trump administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Although the U.S. has not officially disclosed all countries on this list, Taiwan is widely understood to be included, alongside major trading economies like China, South Korea, and the European Union, according to trade surplus data published by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trump administration is set to reverse a policy introduced during former President Joe Biden’s administration, which mandated that liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects begin exporting within seven years after obtaining regulatory approval.

The Biden-era rule, issued in April 2023 by the Department of Energy (DOE), required LNG projects aimed at significant markets in Europe and Asia to adhere strictly to this seven-year export deadline. However, the LNG sector had strongly advocated for removing this restriction, arguing it was unrealistic because several large-scale projects typically require more than seven years to reach completion and begin exports.

The Trump administration is preparing an executive order intended to streamline regulations surrounding the export of military equipment, potentially facilitating increased international arms sales. The directive could be officially announced as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.

The anticipated executive order closely resembles earlier proposed legislation sponsored in 2024 by Michael Waltz, Trump’s current national security adviser, when he was serving as a Republican congressman. Waltz’s proposal sought amendments to the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, specifically raising the financial thresholds that trigger mandatory congressional oversight for foreign arms transfers.