On January 18, 2026, Chinese technology shares were reported to be outpacing global benchmarks. A domestic Nasdaq‑like index gained nearly 13% for the month, while a Hong Kong gauge rose 6%, even as housing and consumption stayed weak. Jefferies said 33 Chinese AI stocks added $732 billion in market value over the past year.

Chinese EV manufacturers such as BYD and Geely are gaining limited access to Canada after Prime Minister Mark Carney removed the additional 100% tariff and introduced a yearly import ceiling of 49,000 vehicles. A 6.1% duty still applies in Canada, while Europe has moved from steep tariffs to pricing arrangements, even as China's exports hit 2.6 million EVs and BYD's European deliveries jumped sharply in 2025. Analysts say Canada's partial reopening, after imports were driven to nearly zero in 2024, could become an important first step for Chinese brands in the broader North American market.

Hong Kong will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Shanghai Gold Exchange at the Asian Financial Forum to develop a central gold clearing system. Paul Chan said a trial is planned within the year to cut costs, speed settlement and boost liquidity, alongside trade digitization projects connecting 2,300 firms and using AI and blockchain.

On Sunday, a South Korean presidential spokesperson said the government will seek direct discussions with the United States to secure favorable terms under Donald Trump's new 25% tariff on imported artificial intelligence chips. Officials aim to ensure Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix remain outside the initial scope of the measure, which currently targets advanced AI chips from Nvidia and AMD rather than South Korean memory chips.

China exported 6,745 tons of rare-earth products in December, down from 6,958 tons in November, according to customs data released Sunday. Beijing has introduced tighter controls on shipments with potential military use that mainly affect Japan, while the U.S., G7 finance ministers and partners met in Washington to discuss reducing dependence on Chinese rare earths and supporting alternative supply chains.

On January 18, 2026, Donald Trump denied ever offering the Federal Reserve chair role to Jamie Dimon and said Dimon is unfit for the job. He also said he will sue JPMorgan within two weeks over alleged political debanking after January 6, as bank shares slid, with JPMorgan down around 5% over the last week.

On Saturday, Donald Trump announced that imports from eight NATO countries will face a 10% tariff from February 1, rising to 25% by June 1, unless they agree to sell Greenland to the United States. The move targets Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, and Finland, and is linked by Trump to their troop deployments in Greenland. European leaders and U.S. senators have pushed back, warning the tariffs risk damaging Western unity and stressing there is no imminent security threat to the island.

On January 17, 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney advanced a Canadian auto production bill aimed at countering U.S. tariff pressure and retaining local manufacturing. The plan links a China trade arrangement to a quota of 49,000 EVs at a 6% tariff, includes a C$35,000 price-cap segment, and is set for a February rollout by Industry Minister Melanie Joly.

Global equity markets are trading at elevated valuations, with the MSCI World Index at 20 times forward earnings while Q4 results start to roll in. Investors are relying on strong profit growth from AI leaders, banks, consumer goods firms, and defense contractors to justify last year's rally and avoid renewed volatility. At the same time, shifting tariffs, oil supply threats, and surging defense spending are adding fresh uncertainty across regions.