Trade

China halts helium exports amid renewed Middle East conflict

Beijing said the temporary ban is intended to prevent domestic shortages as renewed Middle East fighting threatens supplies of the gas used in semiconductor manufacturing.

|ByREUTERS
A Chinese national flag is seen in front of a CMA CGM container ship docked at Yantian Port on May 7, 2026.
AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN-UNREST Goods carrier trucks stalled near the closed Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Nangarhar province on October 21, 2025.

Pakistan launches new trade corridors through Iran, China to central Asia, bypassing Afghanistan

Pakistan’s new Iran and China trade corridors give Central Asian countries alternative access to Pakistani ports after Islamabad closed key Afghan crossings over security concerns.

|ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
US President Donald Trump gestures after ringing the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq during an event to mark the launch of "Trump Accounts" in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, July 6, 2026.

Trump warns US can wipe out Iran's power grid in 'small part of an afternoon' if deal not reached

The president said, "We freed up the blockade because we're close to maybe making a deal - I don't know, look - we're going to win one way or the other."

|ByJONAH DAVIDOV
AS THE USA prepares to bask in its 250th birthday’s fireworks, the American dream faces an unprecedented pincer attack from both the Right and the Left, the writer argues. Here, a soccer fan holds a flag celebrating the 250th anniversary before a FIFA World Cup game last week in California.

Middle Israel: The Fourth of July and the fading American dream - opinion

There is a massive attack on the American democracy’s pillars, on the judiciary, the media, and the principle of separation of powers coming from its own leadership.

|ByAMOTZ ASA-EL

Israel needs Europe's support more than many Israelis realize - opinion

Israel simply cannot afford to treat Europe as a secondary concern or a lost cause.

JUNE 27, 2026ByDAN PERRY
An illustrative image of Israeli and the European Union flags with a division between them.

Middle East reroutes its energy networks as region navigates shifting sands - analysis

Investments in new pipelines and energy products will be a key feature in the new regional order.

JUNE 18, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Gas flares burn at the Rumaila oil field during an armed patrol by Iraqi Energy Police in Basra, Iraq, June 8, 2026.

The third road: Albania and the end of the resource colony - opinion

The world is, for the first time in its history, willing to pay for what Albania has.

JUNE 10, 2026ByBELLA BARDA-BAREKET
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama attends a news conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, March 7, 2023.

Iran signals 'strategic desperation,' as regime attacks it own economic lifeline in UAE - interview

Beyond its role as a major trading partner, the UAE serves as one of Iran’s principal sanctions-evasion hubs.

JUNE 2, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
A yacht sails past a plume of smoke rising from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026.

Why more crypto traders are switching from spot to CFDs in 2026

MAY 25, 2026ByDAVID RABINOWICZ
"The transition from spot to CFDs changes how traders think about markets, not just how they execute."

Six previously unknown Bronze Age mines found in Spain, some 150 more remain ‘undiscovered’

The six mines may help explain the source of the metal used in Bronze Age Scandinavian artifacts. 

MAY 24, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
During an archaeological survey, researchers from the Maritime Encounters, University of Gothenburg, identified six previously unregistered Bronze Age mines in Spain, May 23, 2026.

Iraq’s 1,200-km. trade route could redraw the Middle East - analysis

Iraq has some reticence, in part because Iranian-backed militias in Iraq oppose the new government in Damascus. However, trade may prove more important than sectarian ideology.

MAY 23, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather during an intensive security deployment after Islamic State militants took it over the previous day in Luhaiban village in Kirkuk, Iraq December 6, 2021.

Silk Road Virtual Museum opens first Israel exhibit, displays ancient textiles found in Arava

The exhibit, curated by academics from the University of Haifa, features textiles from India, Central Asia, and China.

MAY 19, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Ancient textile fragment found at the Nahal Omer archaeological site in the Arava, southern Israel, by archaeologists from the University of Haifa, May 19, 2026.

Trump-Xi Beijing summit tests leverage on trade, Taiwan, Iran - analysis

Temporary deals on tariffs, rare earths, and diplomatic language may give both leaders short-term wins while leaving deeper conflicts untouched.

MAY 14, 2026ByGIORGIA VALENTE/THE MEDIA LINE
US President Donald Trump inspects an honour guard during a welcome ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14, 2026.

How governments are becoming major market players

MAY 13, 2026ByISAAC KAPLAN
“Governments are getting directly involved, choosing which industries to support, steering investments, and using trade policy as a tool.”