EU import fee, Amazon’s negative free cash flow, GM driver-data settlement

EU to add €2 handling fee on online imports on 1 November 2026

The EU is due to introduce its import handling fee on 1 November 2026, with businesses filing customs declarations legally liable. Irish Revenue says sellers or delivery businesses may pass the cost to shoppers, collecting it at checkout or before delivery.

Bank of Japan holds rate at 1.25% and speeds up fund sales

Added the previous 112-year ETF disposal estimate and Reuters-polled analysts’ expectation of a December rate increase, distinguished from a BOJ commitment.

European Central Bank holds all three key interest rates steady

The European Central Bank held its three key rates, including the deposit rate at 2.5%. It warned that rising energy prices threatened higher inflation and weaker growth, and said incoming data would guide future decisions rather than a preset rate path.

Belarus bans 7-year ARAME and 8-year Pogreb Shio imports and sales

Belarus’s Gosstandart has prohibited the 7-year ARAME made by Armenia’s MAP and the 8-year Pogreb Shio made by Georgia’s Kvarelsky Pogreb. The regulator says the products fail technical and labeling requirements, with import and sale prohibited throughout Belarus from 31 October 2026.

UK pledged £10 billion (about $13.4 billion) more to Ukraine on 28 October

Britain committed additional economic backing and export-finance capacity to Ukraine on 28 October. British and Ukrainian leaders also agreed to use the upcoming European Political Community meeting to seek more support from partners.

Gulf crude exports hit 24.6 million barrels a day, Kpler says

Kpler’s figures show Gulf crude exports surpassing their prewar average, while production and stored supplies remain depleted. Transfers between ships and pipeline routes help sustain shipments; analysts say lasting recovery requires safer transit, restored output and rebuilt inventories.

Germany’s inflation eases to 2.8% in preliminary October estimate

Germany’s preliminary October inflation reading shows slower annual price growth, not a fall from year-earlier levels. Economists warn that the relief could be temporary, and the Federal Statistical Office plans to publish final results on 11 November.

General Motors agrees to pay $220 million in driver-data settlement

General Motors agrees to pay $220 million to resolve the states’ driver-data case. Its new obligations reach dealership practices as well as corporate privacy controls, while a separate federal order already requires customer consent and ways to seek data deletion.

Amazon reports negative free cash flow of $42.4 billion over the past year

Amazon’s infrastructure spending pushed trailing-year free cash flow deeply negative even as its cloud business grew faster. CEO Andy Jassy says the company can finance the plan and expects cloud growth to accelerate over the next two years.

Amazon’s cloud sales grow 39.3% as net income falls

Amazon’s cloud sales growth accelerated to 39.3% as company-wide net income fell to $20.69 billion. CEO Andy Jassy expects investment in Amazon’s cloud-computing unit, AWS, to bring in more revenue and generate more free cash flow.

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OKXICE seeks SEC clearance for round-the-clock tokenized stock trading

Reuters reporting carried by CNA says 22 companies have objected to tokenization of their shares on OKXICE, which had planned to tokenize 63 stocks. Wells Fargo, Arm Holdings and Intuit are among the latest objectors. Issuer objections prevent listing under the Securities and Exchange Commission exemption; the document gives no reasons for the objections.

Japan’s Nikkei closes down 2.1% at 63,290.11

Japan’s Nikkei closed lower after overnight Wall Street losses, with Advantest and Tokyo Electron leading the decline. The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady and said it would accelerate sales of exchange-traded funds from January.