Good morning, friends. The summer news cycle slowdown has hit us once again, but we still have a few trade updates from Egypt and new insights from Knight Frank on how industrial and logistics space in Dubai took a big dip in 1H.

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY-

A US-China trade agreement is… almost here: Washington and China wrapped their trade talks in Stockholm without reaching an agreement on extending their trade truce, though US President Donald Trump said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent felt “good” about the talks. Trump would have to give final approval on any agreement, Bessent confirmed. The 90-day pause on tariffs is set to expire on 12 August, after which Chinese exports could be subject to up to a 125% tariff — as floated by Trump earlier in the year.

Speaking of tariffs: Procter & Gamble is forecasting a USD 1 bn hit on the back of US tariffs, and said it would hike prices “moderately” in the US as part of its long-term strategy.

This story grabbed ink in the int’l press: Bloomberg | CNBC | Reuters | Financial Times | Guardian

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Egypt + Singapore in talks to digitize ports: Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) is looking into cooperating with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise to integrate its port management and smart port tech expertise across Egypt’s ports, according to a statement. The talks come as the SCZone works on digitizing its operations, and is looking to improve governance, operational efficiency, and cargo handling capacities at its ports.

REMEMBER- SCZone’s on a digital kick: SCZone launched the first phase of a new digital services platform in March for investors, offering them the chance to turn in applications and receive project approvals and licenses through a single platform. The platform — developed with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development — will feature more services in the phases that follow.

#2- The Egyptian Sugar and Integrated Industries Company is exploring developing a USD 400 mn bioethanol production plant at its facilities in Kom Ombo, Managing Director Salah Fathy told AlMal. The project is set to poise all surplus production for exports — although the local market will remain the primary focus. The project will be implemented in partnership with Italy’s Eni and Proger, and co-financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Technical and financial studies are still underway.

#3- Korea’s Hyundai Rotem is prepared to actively contribute to Morocco’s rail expansion plan, according to a statement, citing rail solutions head Jeong Hoon Kim as saying. The “ambitious roadmap,” as described by Kim, is set to expand Morocco’s national rail network by 2040.

Hyundai is already on board: Morocco’s National Office of Railways inked a USD 1.5 bncontract with Hyundai Rotem in February to supply double-decker trains for its new high-speed rail network. The network is slated to increase Casablanca’s connectivity to the rest of the country. No further details were provided on whether Hyundai is looking at additional projects and contributions for the rail network expansion.

#4- Syria is now accepting tender applications to construct hangars at the Nassib border crossing — valued at some USD 142k, according to a statement from the General Land and Sea Ports Authority. The project will entail the development of a hangar scanner and inspection yard at the crossing. The submission deadline is set for 10 August.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil prices eased in early morning trading following a 3% surge as investors weigh Trump’s deadline to Russia, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures rose USD 0.08 or 0.12% to reach USD 71.81 / bbl by 4:19am GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures increased USD 0.08 or 0.12% to trade at USD 66.29 / bbl.

Oil prices are going to drop, but not as sharply as feared: The IMF is expecting oil prices in Saudi Arabia to fall by 13.9% in 2025 to an average of USD 68.18 per barrel — a more moderate drop than previously anticipated, according to its World Economic Outlook report (pdf). The decline is set to continue in 2026, albeit at a slower pace, with prices forecast to fall by an additional 5.7% to USD 64.33 / bbl.

#2- Baltic index on a downwards trajectory: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — decreased 5.3% at 2,109 points on Tuesday. The capesize dropped 7.9% to 3,476 points, while the panamax index dipped 3.2% to 1,741 points. The smaller supramax index fell 0.6% to 1,281 points.

DATA POINT-

Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled 1 mn tons of cargo in 1H 2025 — a 0.1% y-o-y increase, according to a statement. The airport also received 22.5 mn passengers in 2Q 2025 — recording 3.1% growth y-o-y.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the Africa Procurement & Supply Chain Leaders’ Conference on Monday, 25 August until Friday, 29 August in Dubai. The conference will host global industry leaders, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss how AI is changing procurement and supply chain efficiency, sustainability and risk management.

Oman will host Transport Middle East on Monday, 1 September until Wednesday, 3 September in Salalah. The conference will host 35 international speakers and over 50 exhibitors from the maritime sector to discuss global transportation and logistics.

Saudi Arabia will host the Sustainable Maritime Industry Conference on Wednesday, 3 and Thursday, 4 September in Jeddah. The event is set to gather over 60 speakers and more than 3k participants to discuss maritime decarbonization, digital transformation, regulatory frameworks, capacity building, and sustainable practices.

Algeria will host the Intra-African Trade Fair on Thursday, 4 September until Wednesday, 10 September in Algiers. The fair will host over 75 countries and 2k exhibitors across several sectors to explore investment prospects and exchange information on trade between B2B and B2G.

Oman will host the Comex Global Technology Show on Sunday, 7 September and run till Wednesday, 10 September in Muscat. The event will host over 360 participants and 133 tech startups to show achievements in eGovernment, fintech, smart cities, health tech, agritech and cybersecurity.

Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.

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