Main points of global economic news for May 18, 2026

1. China commits to purchasing $17 billion worth of American agricultural products between 2026 and 2028: According to a White House announcement, China has committed to purchasing at least $17 billion worth of American agricultural products in 2026, 2027 and 2028, excluding previous agreements on soybeans. The two sides agreed to establish bilateral trade and investment councils to remove market access barriers and promote trade within the framework of reciprocal tariff reductions.

2. International financial institutions are collectively revising upward their forecasts for the CNY/USD exchange rates: Major investment banks, such as HSBC, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, have revised their forecasts for the Chinese yuan (CNY) exchange rate upwards, based on strong exports and stable Sino-US trade relations. More specifically, HSBC raised its year-end forecast to 6.65 CNY/USD, while Deutsche Bank anticipates an exchange rate of 6.55 CNY/USD by the end of 2026, thanks to growth in raw material imports.

3. Asia mobilizes $100 billion for projects to fight climate change: According to a study by the Center for Impact Investing and Practice, nearly $100 billion has been disbursed in Asia between 2021 and 2025 to fight climate change, more than 90% of which comes from development finance institutions. These funds are mainly aimed at modernizing transport infrastructure, water resources management and smart agriculture in key markets such as China, India and Southeast Asia.

4. Micron Technology benefits greatly from the rise of memory chips for AI: Thanks to strong demand and soaring prices for high-bandwidth memory chips used in artificial intelligence (AI), Micron Technology forecasts profits of nearly $100 billion for the next 12 months. The company is investing $150 billion in expanding its U.S. factories to strengthen its position against Samsung and SK hynix, while meeting demand for proprietary processors from Alphabet and Amazon.

5. Dubai launches construction of a $5.1 billion aeronautical maintenance mega-center: Emirates Airlines has launched construction of a 1.1 million square meter aeronautical engineering complex in Dubai South, with a total investment of up to $5.1 billion. The project, scheduled for completion in 2030, will have the capacity to simultaneously maintain 28 wide-body aircraft and carry out complex modifications and upgrades to their equipment.

6. Goldman Sachs predicts that central banks will increase their gold reserves: The financial company Goldman Sachs predicts that central banks will increase their purchases of gold by an average of 60 tonnes per month in 2026 in order to diversify their asset portfolios in the face of geopolitical uncertainties.

According to the report, this trend is reinforced by data from the World Gold Council, which shows that purchases in the first quarter reached 244 tonnes, a sharp increase from 208 tonnes in the previous quarter.

7. Asia mobilizes $100 billion for climate change adaptation projects: a study by the Center for Impact Investing and Practice shows that approximately $100 billion has been invested in climate change efforts in China, India and Southeast Asia between 2021 and 2025. The majority of these funds are focused on sustainable infrastructure, water management and smart agriculture, more than 90% of total funding being provided by public financial institutions and development organizations.