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PanStar Acro is carrying commercial cargo on South Korea’s Arctic shipping trial. The ship is transporting 837 TEU during the voyage, including 737 TEU of commercial freight. Its cargo comprises chemical products, used vehicles and automotive parts, along with 100 empty containers. PanStar Line operates the vessel and is conducting this trial with government backing. It is expected to reach Arctic waters by August 30. The Arctic segment covers roughly 6,400 kilometers and is scheduled to conclude around September 7. After passing through the Arctic zone, PanStar Acro will continue to three designated European ports. It will arrive in Felixstowe in Britain on September 9, then Rotterdam on September 11, and Gdansk on September 15. From there, the ship will head back toward South Korea along the same northern route. The route from Busan to Rotterdam is approximately 13,000 kilometers, compared to about 20,000 kilometers via the Suez Canal.

CBE policy rates remain unchanged as Egypt reports 14.9% annual urban inflation. The Monetary Policy Committee last adjusted rates on February 12. They lowered the policy corridor by 100 basis points. This reduced the deposit rate to 19% and the lending rate to 20%. It also brought the main operation and discount rates down to 19.5%. Since then, rates have remained steady through meetings in April, May, July, and now August. Inflation figures played a key role in the latest decision. In July, annual urban headline inflation increased to 14.9% from 14.3% in June. Core inflation rose to 14.7% from 14.3% during the same period. Despite this, both headline and core consumer prices did not increase month-on-month in July. The central bank linked the annual rise partly to unfavorable base effects.

Japan’s main export destinations remained the United States and China. Exports to the US grew 22.0% year-on-year to about 2.09 trillion yen. Shipments to China rose 25.8% to approximately 2.01 trillion yen. Japan’s manufacturing industry exports vehicles, machinery, electronic parts, and semiconductor-related equipment to major markets overseas. External demand played a key role in Japan’s monthly trade performance.

U.S. equities closed higher on Wednesday, supported by a significant drop in long-term Treasury yields. The S&P 500 added 16.22 points, or 0.21%, finishing at 7,707.98. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 119.65 points, or 0.22%, to end at 53,463.05. The Nasdaq Composite went up by 41.38 points, or 0.16%, closing at 26,331.09. This marked the end of a three-day losing streak for all three major U.S. indexes.

Global markets for precious metals experienced downward pressure on Friday. Spot gold prices fell, putting the week in the red overall. According to financial data, spot gold decreased by 0.5 percent to trade at $4,326.75 per ounce. Meanwhile, United States gold futures for December delivery dropped almost 1.0 percent to $4,382.50 per ounce. This decline followed a sharp, temporary spike on Thursday, when bullion prices reached their highest levels in over two months. The market then retreated 1.3 percent as traders took profits suddenly.

Europe led major EV markets in July as global electric vehicle demand continued to grow. Europe stood out as the leading region in electric vehicle growth during July. Regional sales jumped 33% from the previous year to roughly 450,000 units. From January to July, EV sales across Europe grew by 28%. France experienced an 81% year-over-year increase in July, while Germany’s growth was 46%. The United Kingdom saw a 43% rise. However, European sales still declined by 17% from June, indicating a different trend on a monthly basis.

South Korea’s automobile exports climbed 7.0% from a year earlier to US$6.24 billion in July 2026. The figure set a record for the month of July and exceeded the previous July high of US$5.90 billion in 2023. Vehicle production increased 11.3% to about 352,000 units, while local sales edged up 0.5% to 139,000 vehicles. Eco-friendly vehicles accounted for much of the export growth during the month, with overseas sales value rising 25.5% year on year to US$2.59 billion. Electric and hydrogen vehicle exports increased 31.9% to US$940 million, while hybrid exports advanced 22.2% to US$1.65 billion.

Across the US and European markets, diesel prices remain high due to limited inventories and refinery disruptions. On Monday, U.S. ultra-low sulfur diesel futures surged 7.4% to $4.19 a gallon. This marked the biggest daily increase since July 13. By early Wednesday, the contract hovered near $4.28 a gallon. Meanwhile, European diesel refining margins stayed at historically strong levels, gaining nearly 10% at the start of the week.

Gold moved higher for the third day in a row on Tuesday, continuing its rebound from last week. Spot gold increased by 1% to reach $4,432.74 an ounce by 0217 GMT, hitting its highest point since June 5. U.S. gold futures also climbed 1.7% to $4,492.60. This push took prices above the seven-week peak recorded last week and was part of a recovery that sped up following weaker U.S. employment data.

Official data reveal that Denmark’s annual inflation rate declined to 1.7% in July from 1.9% in June. Statistics Denmark reported that consumer prices increased by 1.3% compared to the previous month. Core inflation remained steady at 2.3%, the same as in June. Price hikes in restaurants and hotels continued to significantly influence the overall index. Rental costs for holiday homes also contributed notably during the summer travel season.