Main points of global economic news for May 7, 2026

1. Reimbursement of $166 billion in customs duties by the United States and the Fed’s concerns about inflation: Following a Supreme Court ruling, the US government has begun reimbursing $166 billion in customs duties to importers. Approximately 1.74 million shipments are expected to be processed by early May 2026. However, this measure coincides with a 3.5% increase in the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index in March 2026 and an oil price that remains above $100 per month. barrel, which puts strong pressure on inflation control objectives. Federal Reserve officials warn that they may be forced to keep interest rates unchanged between 3.50% and 3.75%, or even tighten them further if inflation risks continue to worsen.

2. Japan asserts that there is no limit to the number of interventions to protect the yen: according to data from the Bank of Japan (BoJ), the government would have spent an additional $32.06 billion to buy yen and intervene in the market, bringing the exchange rate to 156.13 yen/USD after selling $35 billion at the end of April 2026. Deputy Finance Minister Atsushi Mimura said Japan is not subject to any limits on the frequency of its interventions and is maintaining close coordination with the United States ahead of US Finance Minister Scott Bessent’s visit to Tokyo on May 11. Faced with inflationary pressures linked to the cost of imports, the BoJ is in a hurry to raise its interest rates in June 2026 in order to sustainably stabilize its national currency, instead of relying solely on unilateral intervention measures.

5. Samsung stops selling household appliances in China: Samsung Electronics has decided to stop selling household appliances, such as televisions, refrigerators and washing machines, in the Chinese market in order to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment and domestic competition. The move comes as the company’s market share has fallen below 1%, while China’s top eight brands currently hold 94.1% of TV sales nationwide. While continuing its mobile phone business, Samsung is forced to reduce its product line after recording a loss of 200 billion won in its digital devices division by 2025, due to rising raw material costs.

6. European aviation facing a serious fuel crisis: The European aviation industry is facing its most serious crisis since the 2020 pandemic due to geopolitical tensions that are driving jet fuel prices up 106.6% year-on-year in March 2026. Lufthansa plans a further increase of 1.7 billion euros in energy costs in 2026, forcing companies to reduce their costs and optimize their flight networks to adapt to a volatile market. Given the region’s heavy dependence on imported oil, major airlines have started increasing their international fares from 5% to 15%, in addition to surcharges, in order to maintain operations.