Biweekly Global Business Newsletter Issue 152

"We live in excessively interesting times" — Bronwen Maddox, Executive Director, Chatham House

Welcome to the 152nd Edition of the Global Business Update – As 2026 begins, global business is neither unraveling nor stabilizing—it is recalibrating. New research from McKinsey and the World Economic Forum shows that while global cooperation remains intact, its structure is changing. Traditional multilateral frameworks are weakening, replaced by more flexible, issue-specific arrangements around data, services trade, capital flows, and technology. For executives, this means a more fragmented, regional, and less predictable operating environment.

This edition has news from Canada, China, the European Union, Malaysia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the USA and Vietnam. Silver and copper are making news.

Business Confidence is Cautiously Improving

Business confidence is cautiously improving. CEO sentiment has rebounded from early-2025 lows not because uncertainty has eased, but because leaders are learning to operate within it. Trade volatility, shifting tariff regimes, geopolitical friction, and supply-chain reconfiguration are no longer viewed as temporary disruptions—they are now baseline planning assumptions.

Layer on the rapid commercialization of AI, uneven technology adoption, and rising economic nationalism, and it is clear that global strategy today requires resilience, flexibility, and deep local insight—not just scale.

Growth is Uneven

The data in this issue reinforces a consistent message: growth still exists, but it is uneven and increasingly shaped by demographics, consumer behavior, and national policy choices. Markets such as Vietnam, the UAE, and parts of Asia continue to outperform, while others face slower consumption, trade realignment, or rising cost pressures.

Global Franchising Remains Strong

Against this backdrop, global franchising remains one of the most effective vehicles for international expansion. Recent deals and development activity confirm that brands with adaptable models, strong local partners, and market-specific strategies are still scaling globally.

In this edition we see global development news from Costa Coffee®, Denny's®, Domino's Pizza (Australia), Fat Burger®, Jolibee®, Mr. Transmission®, Pollo Tropical®, Raising Canes® and TGI Friday's®.

Highlights in Issue #152

• The Global Cooperation Barometer 2026 - McKinsey & Co.
• The Economic Toll of Trump's Policies Will Soon Be Visible - Bloomberg
• China's Slowdown Is Set to Deepen as Pivot to Consumption Stalls - Bloomberg
• Four ways AI and talent trends could reshape jobs by 2030 - World Economic Forum
• CEO Confidence Enters 2026 with Measured Optimism - Vistage
• Which countries are adopting AI the fastest? - The Economist

Book Review

This edition's book review highlights The Triangle of Power: Rebalancing the New World Order by Alexander Stubb. He avoids simplistic narratives about a new Cold War and instead offers a clear, usable framework for understanding today's global order. He argues that power is no longer concentrated in a single bloc or defined solely by U.S.–China rivalry. Instead, it is distributed across three interacting forces: the Global West, the Global East, and the Global South.