May 18, 2026
United States:
US Says China Agrees to Buy Farm Goods, Create Investment Board
China has agreed to buy at least $17 billion of agricultural products annually through 2028 and establish boards of trade and investment, the US said after the leaders of the two nations held a major summit in Beijing.
The two boards form “the cornerstone of this historic agreement” between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping as they work to “optimize” trade between the world’s largest economies, the White House said in a fact sheet on Sunday.
Europe:
European LNG Imports Extend April’s Drop as Flows to Asia Climb
Europe’s imports of liquefied natural gas are heading for a second month of declines, as the Iran war disrupts flows.
In the first two weeks of this month, LNG shipments to the region extended a slide that started in April, shiptracking data show. Imports could dip by more than 1% year-on-year by the end of May — following a 7% decrease in April — according to estimates from data intelligence company Kpler.
Asia:
JGB Yields Outpace Topix Dividend Yield by Most Since 2007
Japan’s 10-year government bond yield has risen well above the country’s dividend yields, raising prospects of rotation out from stocks into bonds once volatility in the bond market subsides.
The dividend yield on Topix index stocks, currently at around 2.3%, is lower than the JGB’s 10-year compound yield of 2.75%. The gap between the two is the widest since 2007 when the Bank of Japan was in a tightening cycle.
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